Aluminum Anodizing

De-anodizing and surface finish

1. Put aluminum piece to Caustic Soda (NaOH 5 %) bath for 5 minutes to remove old anodizing
layer. Rinse aluminum piece in distilled water.

2. Sand and polish aluminum piece. Rinse aluminum piece in distilled water.

3. Clean aluminum piece with Nitrocellulose Cleaner. Use rubber gloves to prevent finger prints on
aluminum piece. Rinse aluminum piece in distilled water.

4. Put aluminum piece to Caustic Soda (NaOH 5 %) bath for 2 minutes to clean the aluminum
piece. Leave it longer for matt finish. Rinse aluminum piece in distilled water.

Anodizing

1. Prepare Sodium Bicarbonate to neutralize any spilled Sulphuric Acid.

2. Prepare Sulphuric Acid (H2SO4 20 %) bath. If you have to dilute, pour distilled water into tank
FIRST and then add Sulphuric Acid. Leave it to cool. Only metals allowed in the bath are
aluminum, lead or titanium.

3. Put Sulphuric Acid (H2SO4 20 %) bath tank to cooling tank, filled with watter and ice. Be very
careful not to spill any watter into Sulphuric Acid (H2SO4 20 %) bath!

4. Put two aluminum or lead sheets into Sulphuric Acid (H2SO4 20 %) bath for cathodes, each on
opposite side of bath tank. Cathodes should not extend below the aluminum piece in the bath tank.

5. Attach aluminum or titanium wire to aluminum piece. Make sure contact is good. Parts where the
suspending wire touches the part will not be anodized.

Surface ratio should be minimum Anode : Cathode = 3 : 1

6. Put aluminum piece into Sulphuric Acid (H2SO4 20 %) bath for anode. Anode should not touch
cathodes! Anode can touch plastics.

7. Attach the positive connection (+) of your power supply to the anode. Attach the negative
connection () to the two cathodes.

8. Run the power at 12 V at between 3 and 12 A. The cathode will fizz. The anode will show some
small bubbles. Leave it 45 to 60 minutes. Keep the temperature of Sulphuric Acid (H2SO4 20 %)
bath at 20C. Add more ice to cooling tank if needed. Rinse aluminum piece in distilled water.

Coloring and closing pores

1. Put aluminum piece into dip for 5 to 15 minutes. You can use ink, food coloring or clothes dye.
Proper anodizing dye will give better results though. Skip this step if you want to keep natural color
of aluminum.

2. Put aluminum piece into boiling distilled water for 60 minutes to seal the surface.

3. Leave aluminum piece to cool. Rub with a very soft cloth.