The Shop > Finishing
Anodizing aluminium without battery acid
jcs0001:
Doc:
Thanks for doing the experiment and posting the results. I haven't used either method but it is great to see that there are at least a couple of choices. Perhaps when the weather warms up I will give it a try.
John.
Aaronpifow:
Hi there.
Im about to try my hand at diy anodizing. I was wondering if anyone knew a good source of sulphuric acid. I tried bunnings today, with little luck.
Ill try supercheap auto for car battery top up liquid, but other than that, Im out of ideas.
Has anybody tried this before? Will car battery acid be strongpure enough?
awemawson:
Battery 'top up liquid' is distilled water - you need battery acid as used to initially fill a new battery
AdeV:
--- Quote from: Aaronpifow on September 10, 2017, 04:03:45 PM ---Hi there.
Im about to try my hand at diy anodizing. I was wondering if anyone knew a good source of sulphuric acid. I tried bunnings today, with little luck.
Ill try supercheap auto for car battery top up liquid, but other than that, Im out of ideas.
Has anybody tried this before? Will car battery acid be strongpure enough?
--- End quote ---
Sulphuric acid disappeared off UK shelves a while ago (I don't know when), but it still easily available mail order - try eBay, Amazon, or just google for suppliers (there are many). I bought some 98% concentrated sulphuric a while back, mainly to guard against it becoming unobtainuim (apart from in used car batteries, which will be highly contaminated with lead, and other chemicals no doubt). Be aware that concentrated sulphuric is very nasty stuff indeed (although not quite as deadly as fuming nitric acid, or the real nasty hydroflouric acid - which tends to soak straight through the skin & starts attacking the internal bits of the body).
Anyway, warnings aside... fresh battery acid (around 28-32% concentrated) would, I'm sure, be plenty strong enough for anodising aluminium. You may even want to dilute it further... This page may contain some useful info (I only read a bit).
SwarfnStuff:
My 2c worth on pH as mentioned above.
If you check the pH of a can of coke (phosphoric acid) or for that matter a lemon (citric acid) you will get a pH in the 2.5 - 2 range from memory.
Point is, pH is not the problem, the type of acid at these levels definitely is. That said, careful handling of strong acid or strong alkali solutions is always wise.
John B
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