Pretreatment for aluminum and aluminum alloys

• US 6,521,029 B1
• Filed: 04/05/2002
• Issued: 02/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The United States of America As Represented By The Secretary of The Navy Chief of Naval Research
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Matzdorf, Craig A, Kane, Michael J., Green, James L. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Green, Anthony J.
• Application Number:
  US10/116,844
• Time in Patent Office: 319 Days
• Field of Search: 106/14.44, 106/14.21, 106/14.41, 148/247, 148/275, 428/472, 428/472.1
• US Class Current: 106/14.44
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 5/084 Inorganic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 5/12 Wash primers
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 22/34 containing fluorides or complex fluorides
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 22/83 Chemical after-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 2222/10 Use of solutions containing trivalent chromium but free of hexavalent chromium

Abstract

Pretreated aluminum and aluminum alloys and the process for pretreating said aluminum substrates to improve its corrosion-resistance, and adhesion properties which comprises pretreating said aluminums with an effective amount of an acidic aqueous solution having a pH ranging from about 2.5 to 4.5 and comprises effective amounts of a trivalent chromium compound, alkali metal hexafluorozirconates, at least one alkali metal fluoro-compound, and small but effective amounts of water soluble thickeners and/or surfactants.

Claims

1. A process for pretreating aluminum and alloys of aluminum to improve the corrosion-resistance, and adhesion properties which comprises treating said aluminum and alloys of aluminum with an acidic aqueous solution having a pH ranging from about 2.5 to 4.5 and comprises, per liter of said solution, from about 0.01 to 22 grams of a water soluble trivalent chromium compound, about 0.01 to 12 grams of an alkali metal hexafluorozirconate, about 0.01 to 12 grams of at least one fluoro-compound selected from the group consisting of alkali metal tetrafluoroborates, alkali metal hexafluorosilicates and mixtures thereof, from 0 to 10 grams of at least one water soluble thickener and 0 to 10 grams of at least one water soluble surfactant.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the pH of the aqueous solution ranges from about 3.7 to 4.0 and the temperature of the aqueous solution ranges from about room temperature to about 200°

F.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein the trivalent chromium compound ranges from about 0.01 to 10 grams, the hexafluorozirconate ranges from about 0.01 to 8 grams, and the tetrafluoroborate ranges from about 0.01 to 1.2 grams.

4. The process of claim 3 wherein the thicker is a cellulose compound ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 grams.

5. The process of claim 4 wherein the surfactant is nonionic and ranges from about 0.5 to 1.5 grams.

6. A process for pretreating, aluminum and alloys of aluminum to improve the corrosion-resistance, and adhesion properties which comprises treating said aluminum and alloys of aluminum with an aqueous solution having a pH ranging from about 3.7 to 4.0 and comprises per liter of solution from about 5.0 to 7.0 grams of a water soluble trivalent chromium salt, about 6.0 to 8.0 grams of an alkali metal hexafluorozirconate, and about 0.01 to 1.2 grams of at least one fluoro-compound selected from the group consisting of alkali metal tetrafluoroborates, alkali metal hexafluorosilicates and mixtures thereof.

7. The process of claim 6 wherein the tetrafluoroborate is present in the solution in an amount ranging from about 0.05 to 0.36 grams.

8. The process of claim 6 wherein about 0.5 to 1.5 grams of a cellulose thickener is added to the pretreatment solution.

9. The process of claim 6 wherein the chromium salt is trivalent chromium sulfate.

10. The process of claim 9 wherein the alkali metal zirconate is potassium hexafluorozirconate.

11. Pretreated aluminum and alloys of aluminum having improved corrosion-resistance, and adhesion properties comprising said aluminum and alloys of aluminum treated with a coating amount of an acidic aqueous solution having a pH ranging from about 2.5 to 4.5 and comprising per liter of said solution about 0.01 to 22 grams of a water-soluble trivalent chromium compound, from about 0.01 to 12 grams of an alkali metal hexafluorozirconate, about 0.01 to 12 grams of at least one fluoro-compound selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal tetrafluoroborate, an alkali metal hexafluorosilicate and mixtures thereof, from 0 to 10 grams of at least one water soluble thickener and from 0 to 10 grams of at least one water soluble surfactant.

12. The pretreated aluminums of claim 11 wherein the pH of the aqueous solution ranges from about 3.7 to 4.0.

13. The pretreated aluminums of claim 12 wherein the trivalent chromium compound ranges from about 0.01 to 10 grams, the hexafluorozirconate ranges from about 0.01 to 8.0 grams, and the tetrafluoroborate ranges from about 0.01 to 1.2 grams.

14. The pretreated aluminums of claim 13 wherein the thickener ranges from about 0.5 to 1.5 grams.

15. The pretreated aluminums of claim 14 wherein the surfactant ranges from about 0.5 to 1.5 grams.

16. Pretreated aluminums and alloys of aluminum having improved corrosion-resistance and adhesion properties comprising said aluminum and alloys of aluminum treated with a coating amount of an acidic aqueous solution having a pH ranging from about 3.7 to 4.0, and containing per liter of said solution from about 0.01 to 10 grams of a water soluble trivalent chromium salt, about 0.01 to 8 grams of an alkali metal hexafluorozirconate, about 0.01 to 1.2 grams of at least one fluoro-compound selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal tetrafluoroborate, an alkali metal hexafluorosilicate and mixtures thereof, from 0 to 10 grams of at least one water soluble thickener and from 0 to 10 grams of at least one water soluble surfactant.

17. The pretreated aluminums of claim 16 wherein the tetrafluoroborate is present in the solution in an amount ranging from about 0.05 to 0.36 grams.

18. The pretreated aluminums of claim 16 wherein about 0.5 to 1.5 grams of a cellulose thickener is present in the solution.

19. The pretreated aluminums of claim 16 wherein the chromium salt is trivalent chromium sulfate.

20. The pretreated aluminums of claim 16 wherein the alkali metal zirconate is potassium hexafluorozirconate.