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Chemistry of aluminum surface

2003

Can anyone supply any information about the nature of a pure aluminium surface (that has not seen any oxygen or water) and then subjecting it to the following:

1. Immersed in water, rinsed and dried
2. Dipped into nitric acid,rinsed and dried
3. Dipped into caustic, rinsed and dried.

Does a different oxide or hydrated oxide form in each case? Can someone recommend a good reference book for the surface chemistry of aluminum?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Pat Mentone
St Paul, Minnesota

Well, I have been researching on making organic-inorganic hybrid coatings on aluminum surfaces. So far from my experience, aluminum forms a tenacious aluminum oxide layer on the surface. Nitric acid has no effect on this oxide layer. However with caustic aluminum oxide gets converted to aluminum hydroxide Al-OH.

Jaspreet Singh Gandhi
- Cincinnati
2003