Anodizing Chemistry
Etches and Etch Extenders
Etches and Etch Extenders
Stone Chemical Company offers a range of caustic etches and etch bath additives. These products follow the Stone Chemical Company “No Dump Process” Design which specifies that they will not form sludge during use. Following the guidelines for the “No Dump Process”, avoids the need to dump the bath with the attendant loss of chemicals and down time. A chelating agent, AN250L, prevents the formation of a concrete hard sludge. A cost effective fume suppressant for the etch bath creates a safer work environment and may eliminate the need for expensive ventilation equipment. Stone Chemical Company also offers a specialty caustic stripper for aluminum racks which selectively removes only the anodized coating and extends rack life significantly
| AN115 Alkaline Cleaner Mild Etching | AN115 is used primarily for spray wash applications for aluminum where a mild etch is desired. It is an alkaline aluminum spray cleaner designed to remove tenacious oils, grease and other soils from metal surfaces during the fabrication and finishing process. |
| AN200 Alkaline Aluminum Etch | AN200 is a proprietary powdered aluminum etch that provides a consistent, even, matte finish. AN200 prevents the sludge and scale buildup normally associated with caustic etching. |
| AN210L Liquid Alkaline Aluminum Etch | AN210L is a proprietary liquid aluminum etch, designed for ease of use. Easily added to the bath by tank-side additions or metering, AN210L eliminates the dusting often associated with powdered etch. AN210L is formulated to give a very smooth, even, matte finish while eliminating the build-up of sludge and scale in the bath. |
| AN250L Etch Extender | AN250L is an aluminum etch additive formulated to prevent sludge and scale while significantly extending the etch bath life. AN250L provides better bath control and allows the operation of the etch bath at higher levels of dissolved aluminum. This reduces the necessity of dumping or decanting the tank. This, in turn, reduces waste treatment costs versus straight caustic soda or other proprietary etches. Additionally AN250L saves money as it is designed to be operated most cost effectively when used with plain caustic soda (AN250L can also be used with proprietary etches such as AN200 or AN210L). |
| AN775 Aluminum Rack Stripper | AN775 Rack Stripper is designed to significantly extend aluminum rack “life”. This zincated, caustic-based product etches the anodic coat off the rack or part down to the aluminum then stops. Versus stripping aluminum racks in the etch tank, AN775 will not “chew up” the racks. The product needs no heating (operates at room temperature) and also works effectively for reworking parts (do not use AN775 on “high sheen” parts as it will dull the surface). |