Removing Welding Smut from Aluminum
Question: We are welding 6063 aluminum extrusions and are looking for an efficient way to remove the welding smut from the parts.
Share
Question:
We are welding 6063 aluminum extrusions and are looking for an efficient way to remove the welding smut from the parts. What do you suggest? R.W.
Answer:
There are probably several different approaches you could use. The approach you choose might be based first upon the volume of parts you are producing, and then on how much of a capital investment you are willing to make. There are a couple of ways that make sense to me from a production standpoint. You can decide which might be the best method for your situation.
The first method would be to set up a chemical cleaning process that would include the following steps:
The second method would be to wire brush or grind the parts clean.
You don't say what you intend to do with the parts after they are cleaned. Will you be applying a corrosion inhibiting or decorative finish? If so, the process above may want to be modified somewhat to accommodate the finishing. Feel free to contact me for additional discussion.
Related Content
-
Ultrafiltration Membranes, Filter Elements for Improved Industrial Water Reuse
Ultrafiltration membranes help with water reuse in a variety of applications.
-
Hubbard-Hall Acquires BioConversion Technology
The acquisition adds experience and biologics to the AquaPure product line.
-
NASF/AESF Foundation Research Project #122: Electrochemical Approaches to Treatment of PFAS in Plating Wastewater - 6th Quarterly Report
The NASF-AESF Foundation Research Board has selected a project on addressing the problem of PFAS and related chemicals in plating wastewater streams, studying PFAS destruction via electrooxidation and electrocoagulation. This sixth quarter report covers the continued assessment of eight perfluoroalkyl acids PFAAs most commonly found in wastewaters, by electro-oxidation with a Magnéli phase Ti4O7 anode across a range of anodic potentials in solutions, exploring the reaction mechanisms. To summarize, the PFAAs start to exhibit degradation behavior when the anodic potential reaches a level where water oxidation occurs, suggesting that the hydroxyl free radicals generated via water oxidation play a role in PFAA degradation.
