Anodizing Aluminum and

Microstucture of a Steel
Sprocket
Ian Buchanan & Kris Magri
Santa Rosa Junior College
ENGR 45, Younes Ataiiyan
Dec 07, 2009

Authors
Ian Buchanan is a
Kris Magri is a
Civil Engineering
Mechanical
major, hoping to
Engineering major
work in construction

who plans to work in

robotics

Purpose of Anodizing
Grow an aluminum oxide layer on the aluminum so it can be dyed
Corrosion and wear resistance
Hardening (Type III)
Color cosmetic

Photo by Ron Newman, http://www.focuser.com/anodize.html

Overview
Aluminum part immersed in acid electrolyte
Apply electrical current, DC, ~12V
The part is the anode (+) (thus the name)
Electrolysis and chemical reaction occurs
Porous aluminum oxide layer grows on the aluminum
Up to 3000 times thicker than naturally occuring
Al2O3 layer
Dye goes into pores, results in bright colors
Place in boiling water to seal pores

Electrochemistry
Electrolyte in Solution: Free ions ,conductive

Sulfuric, oxalic, or phosphoric acid typically used

15% solution of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) our procedure

Electrolysis: Extracts constituent elements from solution

Anode

Evolution of oxygen
2Al + 3H20 Al203 + 6H+ + 6e-

Cathode

Evolution of hydrogen
6H20 + 6e- 3H2 (g) + 6OH-

Pore growth
Acid electrolyte acts as solvent for oxide
Dissolves portions of barrier oxide layer
Oxide grows at metal/oxide interface
Rate of growth dependent on current, concentration, temperature, voltage
Hexagonal shape

Photo from Artists Anodizing Aluminum, D. LaPlantz, 1988, p. 17

Anodizing Setup
Materials
Aluminum item (anode)
Aluminum wire
Aluminum sheet
(cathode)
Sulfuric Acid 15%
Non-metal container
Power supply
Distilled/de-ionized water
Dye (RIT clothes dye)
Baking soda

Photo by Kris Magri

Process

Diagram by Kris Magri

Anodizing Tank

Photo by Ed Troxell

Photo by Kris Magri

Cathode design
Cathode at least 1/3 the area of the part
Experimental 1st cathode very large and
very far away, poor results
Radial cathode worked best

Sealing
Aluminum oxide converted to hydrated form
Al2O33H2O has more volume than Al2O3
Clogs the pores
Hot water seal: Boiling de-ionized water or steam
Other sealing: nickel acetate, cobalt acetate (cold),
sodium or potassium dichromate (hot)

Results

Photo by Kris Magri

Current Density
10-15 ASF (Amphr/ft2) desired rate
4A for 20 min, part is 4.42 in2 43.4 ASF
1A for 20 min, part is 4.42 in2 10.8 ASF
Poor results at 4A but good results at 1A
Rate of oxide thickening proportional to current
density up to some point
Dissolution point barrier layer being removed
faster than new oxide layer being formed

More about Anodizing

Type II

This is the procedure we used

.00007" to .001" oxide layer thickness

Type III

Low temp (50 degree) at higher current (24

ASF)
Over .001"

Anodizing in General
Other metals that can be anodized

Titanium, magnesium, niobium,

tantalum, tungsten, zirconium
Ti utilizes interference property of
oxide film instead of dye for color

History

Anodizing developed around 1917

with first US patent in 1925 (*AAA)

Resources
Aluminum: Properties and Physical Metallurgy, Edited by John
E. Hatch, American Society for Metals, 1984
Materials Science and Metallurgy, Herman W. Pollack, 3rd
Edition, Reston Publishing, 1981
Artists anodizing aluminum: The sulfuric acid process, David
LaPlantz, Press de LaPlantz, 1988
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrolyte
Mr. Titanium
http://mrtitanium.com/interference.html
Anodizing Aluminum, by Ron Newman
http://www.focuser.com/anodize.html