BFCleaner · Borate Free Cleaners for Aluminum Alloys

The project propose to analyze four new borate-free agents (cleaners), able to remove any grease or solid soils or contaminants adsorbed or chemically bonded to the surface of the parts from previous operations. Different borate-free formulations will be tested and investigated in a pilot line evaluating the cleaning efficiency compared to formulations containing borates and also evaluating the impact in term of corrosion or damage of these new formulations on two of the most critical aluminium alloys utilized in aeronautics. Together with the identification of the optimal cleaner and its processing window the project will provide indications on the analytics to be performed on the bath and the limiting values for selecting bath maintenance or replacement of the full solution. Finally, an evaluation on small and medium size parts of the whole anodizing sequence will be performed with particular reference the major requirements of the processes, like adhesion, corrosion properties and fatigue life.