Aluminium and its use
A wide variety of aluminium extrusions are used in the construction of new homes including: siding, windows, weather-proofing, doors, fly screens, guttering, hardware, canopies, etc. Continue reading “Aluminium and its use”
Aluminium & Corrosion
Aluminium and its alloys are highly resistant to atmospheric corrosion: the pure metal and many aluminium alloys can often be used without protection. Continue reading “Aluminium & Corrosion”
Anodising Aluminium
The principle of anodising aluminium developed out of aluminiums ability to form an oxide layer, which can be electro-chemically produced under controlled conditions to provide thick and protective finishes. In essence the process consist of passing an electric current through an acid solution in which the immersed aluminium component acts as an anode and aluminium, titanium or lead acts as a cathode. Continue reading “Anodising Aluminium”
Powder Coating Aluminium
Powder coating is by far the youngest of the surface finishing techniques in common use today.
Powder coating is the technique of applying dry paint to a part. The final cured coating is the same as a 2-pack wet paint. In normal wet painting such as house paints, the solids are in suspension in a liquid carrier, which must evaporate before the solid paint coating is produced. Continue reading “Powder Coating Aluminium”
Aluminium Extrusion Process
To produce an aluminium extrusion a length of aluminium of a constant cross section- a preheated round ingot is squeezed at high pressure through an orifice of the required shape in a steel die. The extruded section produced can be solid or hollow, simple or complex, large or small. Continue reading “Aluminium Extrusion Process”
The History of Aluminium
Aluminium is the third most abundant element in the Earth’s crust and constitutes over 7% by mass. In nature however it only exists in very stable combinations with other materials and it was not until 1808 that its existence was established. It took many years of research to extricate the metal from its ore and many more to produce a viable commercial production process. Continue reading “The History of Aluminium”