Aluminum 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 for uses a strong caustic chemical to cut into 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
- Salt water 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 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