Oxidizing aluminum

[Dan Hintz]

Cermark can be used with 'some' fiber lasers, the 'some' being lasers that are able to either run at CW or very high frequencys. The lower budget machines tend to be limited to 20khz to 80khz, at 80khz you still have a fair bit of pulse energy, rather than heating the cermark it just gets blasted away. You can kind of make it work using a long focus lens but its fair from perfect.

Thermark/Cermark recommends CW or anything >50kHz

[Gary Hair]

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions! I'll pass them along to my customer and let them decide how to proceed.

[Clark Pace]

I have some oxidizer that I bought a while back and it works really well. I have a customer that wants to oxidize lots of aluminum parts after I laser them. Does anyone know what it's made from and if it's possible to make my own? It's just a chemical process but I can't find anything that says what chemicals.


Thanks for any help!


Gary

I didn't think aluminum oxidized? Oops spelt that wrong!

[Vicki Rivrud]

I didn't think aluminum oxidized? Oops spelt that wrong!

Hi Clark,
This is what we have done besides the los https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUj5E06HYyg

I was able to purchase a bottle from Fred at Quality Engraving Supplies in CA - not sure how it compares in price to what Mike is recommending but this stuff goes a long way and really blackens the aluminum panels & frames we cut.
Vicki

[Frank barry]

thanks for that it looks super I guess it would work on stainless steel also dose it wear well ? Frank

[Dan Hintz]

I didn't think aluminum oxidized? Oops spelt that wrong!

Aluminum oxides pretty quickly sitting out in the open air...

[Dave Sheldrake]

I didn't think aluminum oxidized? Oops spelt that wrong!

Anodise = aluminium dihydroxide, it's basically staining the oxide combs that form on the aluminium surface

[Matt Turner (physics)]

Aluminum oxides pretty quickly sitting out in the open air...

And it oxidizes more thoroughly if you add some gallium and mercury to keep things going: http://youtu.be/lfBfKIHYY2g?t=36s