Questions and Answers for Painting Anodized Aluminum
We paint parts made of anodized aluminum. Suddenly, we are having a problem with paint adhesion. Is this an adhesion problem? What are the pros and cons of painting anodized aluminum?
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Pros and Cons
Q. We provide powder coating to a company that does stadium seating, scoreboards, gymnasium equipment, etc. They have a job where a top rail of a stadium will be of anodized aluminum (not sure of the specific process used to anodize) and they wish to powder coat in an orange color. Can you tell me the pros and cons of painting anodized aluminum? Do you know of companies that powder coat such parts?
A. Anodized aluminum can be effectively powder coated. There are different aluminum alloys, and anodizing can be done with different acids. Adhesion over some anodized parts can be a problem, so you should confirm that this is not going to be a problem for your parts. Be sure that the surface is clean and free of dust, dirt or oils.
Run a sample part and perform a wet adhesion test. Cut the coating in a cross hatch pattern in accordance with ASTM 3359. Put the cut panel in boiling de-mineralized water for 20 min. Remove, dry, cool and do the normal tape pull test.
If you pass this test, it is a very good sign that your part is clean and ready for the powder.
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