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Aluminum Chemical Etching

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Reflective Aluminum SheetAluminum is a lightweight, highly conductive, reflective, and non-toxic metal. Its durability and corrosion-resistant properties make Aluminum chemical etching ideal for components in a variety of industries, including transportation, electronics, cookware, packaging, and construction.

Fotofab's chemical etching process produces designs that can withstand harsh indoor and outdoor environments. Acid etching uses a strong caustic chemical to etch the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design or image formed to your project’s specifications.

Fotofab products are made in the USA and distributed worldwide.

Characteristics of Aluminum

  • Lightweight, with about one-third the density of steel
  • Easily malleable for use in a variety of fabrication processes
  • Strong heat and electrical conductivity ideal for electronics and semiconductor applications
  • A good reflector of visible light and radiated heat
  • Non-ferrous offering minimal magnetic field interference for use in magnet-involved applications

Aluminum Grades We Chemically Etch

Aluminum is commonly used for both industrial and non-industrial applications, but it can be difficult to choose the right grade for your project. Below is a list of common Aluminum grades we chemically etch at Fotofab:

  • Alloy 1100
    • Commercially pure wrought aluminum with 90% aluminum
    • Mechanically the strongest aluminum alloy
    • Soft, ductile, and excellent workability
    • Non heat-treatable
    • Corrosion resistant
    • High thermal and electrical conductivity
    • Applicable in heat exchanger fins, dials and nameplates, and chemical processing parts
  • Alloy 2024
    • Copper is the primary alloying element
    • Used in applications that require high strength-to-weight ratio
    • Fatigue resistant
    • Poor corrosion resistance
    • Mechanical properties dependent on the temper of the material
    • Applicable in aircraft structural components
  • Alloy 3003
    • Most widely used Aluminum alloy
    • Commercially pure Aluminum with added Manganese to increase strength
    • Good workability
    • Corrosion resistant
    • Applicable in decorative trim, tanks, and chemical equipment
  • Alloy 5052
    • Highest strength Aluminum alloy of the non heat-treatable grades
    • Alloyed with Magnesium and Chromium
    • High fatigue strength
    • Saltwater and marine atmosphere corrosion resistant
    • Excellent workability
    • Applicable in aircraft components, home appliances, marine industry parts, and food processing equipment
  • Alloy 6061
    • Precipitation-hardened Aluminum alloy
    • Most versatile of the heat-treatable Aluminum alloys
    • Great range of mechanical properties
    • Corrosion resistant
    • Good workability in the annealed condition
    • Applicable for aircraft and automotive structural components

Applications of Acid Etched Aluminum

Aluminum’s combination of low weight, relative strength, conductivity, and corrosion resistance makes the metal ideal for a variety of applications, including:

  • Electronic components
  • Microelectronic conductors
  • Tags—serial, vehicle identification number, property, and asset
  • Covers and shields
  • Nameplates
  • Lids and shims
  • High-wear components
  • Control panels
  • Data-rating plates

Other Factors

  • After Iron, Aluminum is the second-most widely used metal in the world
  • The metal is ideal for operations including drilling, cutting, punching, welding, rolling, forming and bending, due to its malleability
  • Aluminum reacts with oxygen in the air to form an extremely thin layer of oxide, which is self-repairing, dense, and provides corrosion protection
  • It does not rust because it contains no Iron, making it attractive for outdoor applications where moisture is a problem
More Metals

Fotofab, LLC

3758 W Belmont Ave. Chicago, IL 60618

773-463-6211

sales@fotofab.com

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Etching
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Rapid Prototyping
& Many More

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Aluminum
Beryllium Copper
Stainless Steel
& Many More

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