Throughout the entire life cycle of a car, although aluminum components enhance vehicle performance by virtue of their own advantages, they are confronted with the harsh tests of the natural environment. The erosion of time, such as oxidation and corrosion, constantly threatens the stability and service life of aluminum components. Surface treatment technology is like a powerful shield that endows aluminum components with resistance to erosion, effectively extending their service life and ensuring the long-term stability of vehicle performance.
Anodizing: Building a strong oxide protective layer
Aluminum has relatively active chemical properties and readily reacts with oxygen in the natural environment to form a loose film of aluminum oxide. This not only affects the appearance of components but also makes it difficult to prevent further corrosion. Anodizing technology has ingeniously changed this situation.
During anodizing treatment, aluminum components are placed as anodes in a specific electrolyte. After an electric current is applied, an oxidation reaction occurs on the surface of the aluminum, gradually forming a hard, dense and highly adhesive oxide film. The thickness of this oxide film is usually between several micrometers and tens of micrometers, like a strong armor tightly wrapping around the aluminum components.
Take automotive aluminum alloy wheels as an example. After anodizing treatment, their corrosion resistance is significantly enhanced. During daily driving, wheel hubs are exposed to various corrosive factors such as rain, muddy water and road salt. If ordinary aluminum alloy wheel hubs are not treated, surface oxidation spots may appear in a short time, which will affect their appearance and performance. The wheels that have undergone anodizing treatment, with this layer of oxide film, can effectively resist these erosions and maintain a long-lasting luster and good performance. Studies show that aluminum components that have undergone anodizing treatment can extend their corrosion resistance time several times in salt spray corrosion tests, significantly enhancing their durability in harsh environments.
Electrophoretic coating: Create a uniform and aesthetically pleasing protective coat
Electrophoretic painting technology, by means of the effect of an electric field force, evenly deposits paint particles on the surface of aluminum components, forming a uniform, smooth and well-adhering coating. This coating not only provides excellent decorative properties for aluminum components but also plays a crucial role in resisting the erosion of time.
Automotive interior parts such as the center console panel and door interior panels are subject to the influence of human sweat, dust, and changes in temperature and humidity in the complex environment inside the vehicle. After electrophoretic coating treatment, the coating formed on the surface of aluminum interior parts can effectively prevent these factors from eroding the aluminum substrate. Meanwhile, the electrophoretic coating has excellent wear resistance and weather resistance. Even during long-term use, it is not prone to fading or peeling.
From the perspective of appearance, electrophoretic coating offers a rich variety of color options for aluminum components, meeting the personalized demands of automotive interior design. From a protective perspective, this uniform coating is like a closely fitting protective coat, providing all-round protection for aluminum components from the erosion of the external environment and ensuring that interior parts remain in good condition throughout the entire service life of the vehicle.
Chemical conversion treatment: The secret weapon for enhancing the adhesion of coatings
Chemical conversion treatment is a process that forms a conversion film on the surface of aluminum components through specific chemical reactions. Although this conversion film is relatively thin, it plays a crucial role in enhancing the protective performance of aluminum components, especially in strengthening the adhesion of subsequent coatings.
Before painting or powder coating aluminium components, chemical conversion treatment should be carried out first. During the treatment process, the aluminum surface undergoes a chemical reaction with the treatment liquid, forming a conversion film composed of metal compounds. This conversion film presents a porous and rough structure at the microscopic level, providing a large number of adhesion points for the subsequent coating and greatly enhancing the adhesion between the coating and the aluminum substrate.
Take the aluminum structural components of a car body as an example. Before the painting process, they undergo chemical conversion treatment. The coating after painting is not prone to peeling off even when subjected to external forces such as vibration and friction during long-term use. This not only ensures the integrity of the vehicle's appearance, but more importantly, it guarantees the continuous protective effect of the coating on the aluminum structural components, effectively resisting corrosive media such as moisture and oxygen in the external environment, and extending the service life of the vehicle's structural components.
Surface treatment technology, with its diverse means, endows aluminum automotive parts with the ability to resist the erosion of time from different levels. Whether it is the solid oxide layer constructed by anodizing, the beautiful protective coat formed by electrophoretic coating, or the enhanced coating adhesion through chemical conversion treatment, all are safeguarding the long-term stable operation of aluminum components, enabling them to continuously play an important role throughout the entire life cycle of the vehicle and contributing to the sustainable development of the automotive industry.
