Balancing strength and lightweight rigidity with rust resistance and ductility, aluminum alloys are modern man’s space-age material.
Today, you can find aluminum in virtually every aspect of daily human life. From automobiles, airplanes, farming equipment, roofing materials, assault weapons, and elevators, to electronics, hardware, appliances, and that can of craft beer you’re sipping… aluminum’s applications are endless.
One of the main reasons for its popularity is that aluminum does not contain iron, and therefore will never rust. Instead, aluminum is susceptible to something called “corrosion,” which if allowed to fester, can also be quite detrimental.
As aluminum corrodes, it forms lesions on its surface and slowly begins to weaken, much like how a rust-riddled piece of iron slowly becomes brittle over time. While both of these cancers consume metal at a snail’s pace, they are a royal pain in the ass to remove, and can be a challenge to quarantine if allowed to embed in a surface.
HOW TO PROTECT ALUMINIUM FOR CORROSION?
One way to protect an aluminum surface from corrosion is to store it in a moisture-free, climate-controlled environment. While this may be ideal for something small that is only used occasionally, preventing an entire automobile from coming into contact with rain, humidity, or any other moisture-rich natural element is virtually impossible.
This causes us to circle back to the most widely practiced form of aluminum protection: Clear coating.
While a basic, “rattle can approach” to clear coating can be utilized on smaller aluminum objects, larger surface areas typically require a more potent solution. However, applying a layer of clear coat protection doesn’t always mean spraying invisible paint everywhere.
Clear coating an aluminum surface can also mean applying a layer of coating. Coatings not only protect aluminum alloy from the elements, but they also add depth to painted, powder coated, and anodized surfaces.
From automotive components and body panels, to boats, bicycles, motorcycles, and more, protecting an aluminum surface has never been easier nor more resilient thanks to the advent of coatings. So give it a shot and keep the aluminum in your life from pitting and corroding. Coating is way easier than you might think…
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