A method of forming a cured film on an aluminum substrate includes depositing a film formed from a sol-gel coating composition onto the aluminum substrate without disposing a conversion coating composition onto the aluminum substrate. The method also includes, after depositing, curing the film. A coating system includes an aluminum substrate having a surface and a cured film disposed on and in contact with the surface. The cured film is formed from a sol-gel coating composition. The coating system is free from a layer formed from a conversion coating composition.

A method for the surface treatment of flat products made of aluminium alloys. The method includes pickling the flat product, in particular for degreasing the flat product. The method includes carrying out a colour measurement on the surface of the flat product to determine at least one measured colour value after pickling the flat product. The method includes generating output information on the basis of the at least one measured colour value. The output information is indicative of compliance with at least one rule for the measured colour value and outputting or triggering the output of the output information. The invention further relates to a device for the surface treatment of flat products made of aluminium alloys and to a use of a colorimeter which is configured to determine at least one measured colour value in a surface treatment of flat products made of aluminium alloys.

An inhibited mud acid composition, said composition comprising: hydrofluoric acid in solution; an alkanolamine; and a mineral acid selected from a group consisting of: HCl; MEA-HCl and other modified acids, wherein said alkanolamine and hydrofluoric acid are present in a molar ratio of at least 1:1.

Metallic substrate treatment methods and articles comprising a phosphonate functionalized layer are provided. The method comprises contacting a metallic substrate comprising at least one of aluminum and an aluminum alloy with a fluid to form a phosphonate functionalized layer on at least a region of the metallic substrate. The fluid comprises at least one of a phosphonate containing acid and a derivative thereof. At least one of the phosphonate containing acid and the derivative thereof comprises a pKa of a first acidic proton. The fluid comprises a pH at least 0.5 pH value greater than the pKa of the first acidic proton. The article comprises a metallic substrate comprising aluminum or an aluminum alloy and a phosphonate functionalized layer on at least a region of the metallic substrate.

An inhibited mud acid composition, said composition comprising: hydrofluoric acid in solution; an alkanolamine; and a mineral acid selected from a group consisting of: HCl; MEA-HCl and other modified acids, wherein said alkanolamine and hydrofluoric acid are present in a molar ratio of at least 1:1.

Disclosed herein are systems for treating a substrate. The system may include a cleaner composition, a deoxidizing composition comprising a Group IVA metal and/or a Group IVB metal and free fluoride and having a pH of 1.0 to 3.0, and/or a seal composition. The system may also include a coating composition. The cleaner composition, deoxidizing composition, and/or seal composition may comprise a homopolymer or a copolymer comprising a phosphorous-containing monomeric subunit m1. Also disclosed is a deoxidizing composition comprising a Group IVA metal and a Group IVB metal and free fluoride and having a pH of 1.0 to 3.0. Also disclosed are methods of treating a substrate. Also disclosed are treated substrates.

The present invention relates to a method for the corrosion-protective and cleaning pretreatment of metallic components, produced at least partially from metallic materials from the elements iron, zinc and/or aluminum, with the use of an acid aqueous composition containing, in addition to the water-soluble compounds of the elements Zr and/or Ti causing the conversion of the metal surface, a mixture of an aliphatic diol and an aliphatic saturated polyhydroxy compound. It also comprises a chrome(VI)-free aqueous composition based on the constituents mentioned above which delivers outstanding results in cleaning and simultaneous corrosion-protective conversion of technical metal surfaces in one method step.

This application relates to a composite part that can include a non-metal layer having attachment features, and a metal part that is joined with the non-metal layer. The metal part can include a plurality of interlocking structures that are disposed at an external surface of the metal part, where each of the interlocking structures can include an opening characterized as having a first width, and an undercut region, where the opening leads into the undercut region, and the undercut region is characterized as having a second width that is greater than the first width such that the undercut region captures and retains one of the attachment features of the non-metal layer.

An acidic treatment liquid processing apparatus includes: a tank having an interior space; a diaphragm permeable to a metal cation and separating the interior space of the tank into a first chamber and a second chamber; a first electrode disposed in the first chamber; a second electrode disposed in the second chamber; a power supply configured to apply a voltage while using the first electrode as an anode and the second electrode as a cathode; a first liquid passing part configured to pass an acidic treatment liquid containing a dichromate ion and a metal cation into the first chamber; and a second liquid passing part configured to pass an acid aqueous solution into the second chamber.

In an acidic treatment liquid processing apparatus, a space between a first electrode and a second electrode spaced from each other is separated by a first diaphragm permeable and a second diaphragm into a first chamber, a second chamber, and a third chamber. While the first chamber is fed with an acidic treatment liquid containing a dichromate ion and a metal cation, the second chamber is fed with a first acid aqueous solution, and the third chamber is fed with a second acid aqueous solution, a voltage is applied using the first electrode as an anode and the second electrode as a cathode.