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Tinted Hard Coat of T6

2002

We are looking to put a blue tint with hard coat of T6 7075 Aluminum.

Can anybody advise of process?

Peter A. Rosa
- Madison, Connecticut, USA

We do colored hardcoat anodize here, including blue & it can be done on 7075 alloys. Are you looking for how to do this yourself or for someone who can do it?

David A. Kraft
- Long Island City, New York
2002

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2002

Beware! Dyeing hardcoat is tricky in that it is a dark coating in and of itself therefore putting a dye into it and maintain a consistent color is nearly impossible! If marketing is looking for a "blue hue" this can certainly be achieved by nearly anyone doing hardcoat, however, you should be aware that it can and likely will vary in depth of "hue" lot to lot and piece to piece for that matter.

Our firm has experience in this area, attempting to more-or-less match a desired blue color with hardcoat, it wasn't done without this understanding up-front. I might suggest that go with black which is easily achieved, complements blue or gold well, and results in far less headaches.

If your heart is set on blue (and your marketing folks are that dead set), we'e be willing to provide a sample. Whoever you choose to use, make sure you ask them whose dye and what product number they are using. There are several "blue" dyes from navy blue to sky blue to powder blue. You likely want a blue dye with maximum light and heat fastness, minimum 7 rating for each.

Milt Stevenson, Jr.
Syracuse, New York