Aluminum alloy is the most widely used non-ferrous metal structural material in industry, and has been widely used in aviation, aerospace, automobile, machinery manufacturing, shipbuilding and chemical industry. With the rapid development of industrial economy, the demand for welded structural parts of aluminum alloy is increasing day by day, so that the research on weldability of aluminum alloy is also in-depth.
Oxides are compounds (of course they must be pure substances). Its composition contains only two elements, one of which must be oxygen, and if the other is a metal element, it is called a metal oxide; if the other is not a metal element, it is called a non-metal oxide.
Aluminum is an active metal, easy to oxidize, forming a dense oxide film, which has a protective effect on aluminum, but some metal oxide films are not good, just like iron, because its oxide film is loose and porous, and it has a protective effect on such metals. Anti-oxidation measures should be implemented for metals.
Aluminum alloys not only produce oxides on the surface, but also produce anodic oxidation layers on the surface, and anodic oxidation is the electrochemical oxidation of metals or alloys. The process in which aluminum and its alloys form an oxide film on aluminum products (anodes) under the corresponding electrolyte and specific process conditions under the action of an applied current. Anodizing, if not otherwise specified, usually refers to sulfuric acid anodizing.
Most of the traditional methods for cleaning oxides on the surface of aluminum alloys use chemical cleaning. Although chemical cleaning can remove oxides on the metal surface, there are many limitations, such as the need to control the ratio of cleaning agent to water, the time required for soaking, and the use of environment, etc., the use of chemical cleaners to clean the waste generated by oxides will also pollute the environment. If it is wiped with chemical reagents, it is a waste of time and the efficiency is slow.
Laser cleaning can quickly remove oxides and anodized layers on the surface of aluminum alloys. During the operation, one operator can use a laser cleaning equipment to clean the surface of aluminum alloys, saving a certain amount of labor costs. The operation of laser cleaning equipment is easy to learn, and it can be used when plugged in. In addition, there are no other consumables during the cleaning process, and no waste will be generated, so there is no pollution to the environment.
