January 20, 2010 by NADCA in NADCA News
Wheeling, IL - January 15, 2010 – NADCA has just released a new publication — Performance Evaluation of Surface Finishes on Aluminum Die Castings. Aluminum die castings are used in many modern applications because of their high strength–to-weight ratio and other attractive properties. Although there are many attractive features to raw die cast aluminum components, sometimes these features need enhancements to fulfill the demanding applications for these components. One such enhancement is the use of surface finishes.
Fifteen surface finishes were applied to 15 aluminum die castings. These finished castings were then tested in an accelerated corrosion test. Castings with the surface finishes applied endured a 30-day accelerated corrosion test.
The evaluation revealed six of the surface finishes were continuing to provide protection, while the remaining nine coatings were determined to have failed, offering little or no further corrosion protection. This report should be used to complete the first steps of selecting a finish, starting by understanding the requirements of the surface finish. Is corrosion protection or appearance protection most important? Will the casting be used in extreme corrosive environments or relatively non-corrosive environments? Answering questions like these will narrow the possible coating systems.
To purchase this publication visit http://www.diecasting.org/publications, item number 309
Submitted by NADCA Jan.15