Ask the Expert Question-and-Answer Archive

by Ron Joseph

September, 2008

Alodine Treatment on Cylinder Heads

Q: Thanks for your time, I was wanting to treat bead blasted aluminum cylinder heads from an aircraft cylinder to keep the cast color free of electrolysis. Is there a transparent alodine treatment available which can be applied by sprayer or brush? The cylinders have steel barrels and aluminum heads with steel valves and bronze bushings. I only want to treat the aluminum heads the steel will be painted.

A: Henkel Surface Technologies http://www.henkel.com/cps/rde/xchg/henkel_com/hs.xsl/5497_COE_HTML.htm?
countryCode=com&BU=ut&parentredDotUID=8000000380&redDotUID=8000000380&brand=000000037Xand

and Chemetall-Oakite http://www.chemetallamericas.com/products/

and several other chemical pretreatment companies sell non-chromate, clear pretreatments for aluminum.

Please look through their range of products for the one that best suits your needs. Since I am not familiar with your application, I cannot recommend any specific product.

Regards,

Ron Joseph