Sound technical content, curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ

finishing.com -- The Home Page of the Finishing Industry

The authoritative public forum
for Metal Finishing since 1989
-----

Brightening aluminum and copper parts

Q. We have some aluminum & copper formed parts, we would like to clean, degrease, brighten them. Need something simple that we can do in the shop & non-hazardous.

Thank you,

Tony Santos
- East Hanover, New Jersey

A. Both aluminum and copper are usually bright dipped with mixtures that include a lot of nitric acid, obviously not non-hazardous. Copper can be bright dipped in a proper (usually proprietary) mixtures of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide; perhaps less toxic, but not non-hazardous. Sorry, but I know of no way to bright dip aluminum that doesn't involve nasty stuff.

Mechanically polishing & buffing can produce bright parts without chemical hazard, but I don't know if that is practical without some pictures, dimensions, production rates, etc. Even simple cleaning & degreasing isn't easy on mixed metal parts. More info please.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

(No "dead threads" here! If this page isn't currently on the Hotline your Q, A, or Comment will restore it)

Q, A, or Comment on THIS thread -or- Start a NEW Thread

Disclaimer: It's not possible to fully diagnose a finishing problem or the hazards of an operation via these pages. All information presented is for general reference and does not represent a professional opinion nor the policy of an author's employer. The internet is largely anonymous & unvetted; some names may be fictitious and some recommendations might be harmful.

If you are seeking a product or service related to metal finishing, please check these Directories: