Process for forming a bearing surface for aluminum alloy

• US 5,240,590 A
• Filed: 07/29/1992
• Issued: 08/31/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Seagate Technology plc (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Narayan, Prativadi B., Brar, Amarjit S., Dierich, Anthony C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Niebling, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leader, William T.
• Application Number:
  US07/922,357
• Time in Patent Office: 398 Days
• Field of Search: 205/208, 205/213, 205/222, 205/229
• US Class Current: 205/208
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 11/16 Pretreatment , e.g. desmutting
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 11/24 Chemical after-treatment

Abstract

A process for forming a bearing surface on an aluminum alloy article including the steps peening the surface, anodizing the surface, and washing the anodized surface with a boehmite inhibiting agent.

Claims

1. A process for producing a uniform, highly adherent anodized aluminum layer on a surface of a cast aluminum alloy article, comprising the steps:

peening a surface of the article to create a peened surface with increased density of non-aluminum constituents at the peened surface;

selectively etching the peened surface of the article to remove non-aluminum constituents from the peened surface to create an etched surface so that aluminum concentration at the etched surface is higher than in an interior region of the article;

anodizing the etched surface to produce an anodized layer;

polishing the surface to remove an outermost 20 to 30% of the anodized layer; and

washing the surface with a pseudo-boehmite inhibiting agent.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the etching step includes exposure to an HF or fluoride ion containing solution.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein the solution comprises about 10% HF and about 30% HNO₃.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the peening of the surface is applied only to a selected portion of the surface.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the article is cast from type 356 aluminum alloy.

6. A process for producing a uniform, highly adherent anodized aluminum layer on a surface of an aluminum alloy article, comprising the steps:

peening a surface of the article to produce a peened surface;

selectively etching the peened surface of the article to remove elements other than aluminum to produce an etched surface so that aluminum concentration at the etched surface is higher than in an interior region;

anodizing the etched surface to form an anodized layer;

washing the anodized layer with a boehmite inhibiting agent;

polishing the anodized layer, such that the polishing step removes an outermost portion of the anodized layer to form a polished anodized layer; and

washing the polished anodized layer with a boehmite inhibiting agent.

7. The process of claim 6 wherein the peening of the surface is applied only to a selected portion of the surface.

8. The process of claim 6, wherein the etching step includes exposing the peened surface to a solution comprising about 10% HF and about 30% HNO₃.

9. The process of claim 6, wherein the boehmite inhibiting agent is H₃ PO₄.

10. The process of claim 6 wherein the article is cast from type 356 aluminum alloy.

11. A process for producing a uniform, highly adherent anodized aluminum layer on a surface of an aluminum alloy article, comprising the steps:

peening a selected portion of a surface to create a peened surface with increased density of non-aluminum constituents at the peened surface;

selectively etching the peened surface of the article to remove elements other than aluminum to produce an etched surface so that aluminum concentration at the etched surface is higher than in an interior region;

anodizing the etched surface to produce an anodized layer;

polishing the anodized layer, such that the polishing step removes an outermost portion of the anodized layer to form a polished anodized layer; and

washing the polished anodized layer with a boehmite inhibiting agent.

12. The process of claim 11, wherein the etching step includes exposing the peened surface to a solution comprising about 10% HF and about 30% HNO₃.

13. The process of claim 11, wherein the boehmite inhibiting agent is H₃ PO₄.

14. The process of claim 11 wherein the article is cast from type 356 aluminum alloy.

15. A process for producing a uniform, highly adherent anodized aluminum layer on a surface of an aluminum alloy article, comprising the steps:

peening a surface of the article to produce a peened surface;

selectively etching the peened surface of the article by exposing the peened surface to an HF or fluoride ion containing solution;

anodizing the etched surface to produce an anodized layer;

polishing the anodized layer, such that the polishing step removes an outermost portion of the anodized layer to produce a polished anodized layer; and

washing the polished anodized layer with a boehmite inhibiting agent.

16. The process of claim 15 wherein the peening of the surface is applied only to a selected portion of the surface.

17. The process of claim 15, wherein the boehmite inhibiting agent is H₃ PO₄.

18. The process of claim 15 wherein the article is cast from type 356 aluminum alloy.

19. The process of claim 15 wherein the solution comprises about 10% HF and about 30% HNO₃.

20. A process for producing a uniform, highly adherent anodized aluminum layer on a surface of an aluminum alloy article, comprising the steps:

peening a surface of the article to produce a peened surface;

selectively etching the peened surface of the article to remove elements other than aluminum to produce an etched surface so that aluminum concentration at the etched surface is higher than in an interior region;

anodizing the etched surface to form an anodized layer;

washing the anodized layer with an H₃ PO₄ solution;

polishing the anodized layer, such that the polishing step removes an outermost portion of the anodized layer to produce a polished anodized layer; and

washing the polished anodized layer with an H₃ PO₄ solution.

21. The process of claim 20 wherein the peening of the surface is applied only to a selected portion of the surface.

22. The process of claim 20 wherein the article is cast from type 356 aluminum alloy.