Formation of streak defects on anodized aluminum extrusions.

Abstract

Streaking is a common surface defect on anodized extrusions of 6xxx series soft alloys. Very often, the defects only become apparent after anodizing, which makes it difficult to identify their root cause. In industry practice, a trial-and-error method has been taken to reduce the intensities of the streak defects, greatly increasing the fabrication cost. This paper describes the formation mechanism of various streak defects on the basis of a literature review and experimental results. This provides a basis for developing effective measures for preventing the formation of these defects for the extrusion industry. © 2010, Springer. The original publication is available at www.springerlink.com