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
-----

Electrolytic reaction - aluminum with stainless and brass

April 28, 2010

I need to fit a plate and tap to several 400 gallon black plastic water tanks which are being used for rainwater harvesting.

Plate that covers exit is 3mm plain aluminium. 4 bolts hold it in place and according to reply on this site if I use 18/8 stainless bolts there will be no reaction with the aluminium.
I cannot get a stainless steel tap. Can anyone tell me whether a brass tap would be OK or would it be better to use a plastic connection through the aluminium plate and fix the tap to the plastic tubing. Worry is that plastic would go brittle after time.

Chris Dore
Engineer and environmental gardener - Southampton, United Kingdom

Hi, Chris. This seems to be for your own personal use, and I'd just put a lot of teflon tape on the brass tap and screw it on in :-)

If this is for a product line, though, I don't think plain uncoated aluminum plate is sufficiently corrosion resistant regardless of what the bolts and tap are made of.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
April 28, 2010

(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: