Anodising - the electrolytic oxidation of aluminium
Anodising stands for the electrolytic oxidation of aluminium. With this type of coating no additional layer is applied to the aluminium surface. Instead, it is a so-called electrolytic deposition process. In this process, the anodising process transforms the upper material layer into an oxidation layer in a controlled manner (colloquially known as “rust” for iron products). The aluminium oxide formed in this way is about three times harder than the pure aluminium surface, which is why even a layer a few micrometres thick ensures high resistance. The thickness of the coating depends on the order-related application area and can be influenced by our individual anodising process.
The naturally occurring oxidation layer is replaced by the refined surface with its uniform pore structure, which gives the aluminium its typical high-quality metallic look. These pores of the colourless oxide skin are also suitable for colouring the metal surface if desired. Here, colour pigments are stored in various baths and then enclosed by so-called compression.