How To Clean Aluminum Tube?

Before entering the next stage of production, many workpieces must be carried out oil removal operation, aluminum tubing is no exception. However, cleaning aluminum tubes is not as easy as it seems. In fact, many manufacturers are troubled by this problem. Let's take a look at the following points.

Here is the content list:

• Why Should You Clean Aluminum Tubes?

• What Do You Need To Prepare Before Clean?

• How To Clean Aluminum Tube?

Why Should You Clean Aluminum Tubes?

Aluminum seamless pipe surface cleaning is a common problem in the metal manufacturing industry can be seen everywhere, electroplating, stamping, stretching, casting and so on, these processes are before and after the processing need to clean.

Principle of the oil cleaning and operation is not too difficult, but also often encounter some small problems, such as oil cleaning is not complete, cleaning after the printing point, oil cleaning time is too long, oil cleaned but the aluminum tube has been corroded, resulting in aluminum tube does not meet the production requirements.

• Quality of next processes

If not cleaned, the rust layer or oxidation film will hinder the rust removal liquid contact with oxidation film, affect the rust removal fluid to the rust layer penetration and damage to the rust layer, which will inevitably result in  serious consequences that oil removal, rust removal, film removal is not complete. At the same time, it also pollutes the solution of rust removing and membrane removal, causing secondary pollution, or reducing the ability and function of rust removing solution.

• Quality of phosphating or anodizing film

Before being painting, passivation, oxidation or phosphating should be completed, in order to enhance the aluminum tube protection performance and increase the surface adhesion, and thereby improve the quality of coated aluminum tube products. If divide oil unthoroughly, when the surface is local smeary polluted, smeary will be sure to be taken into phosphating fluid, oxidation fluid, polluting these solutions. In addition, due to the local presence of oil, aluminum tube surface film quality will be very poor, uneven thickness, serious may not form a film layer, which will bring great hidden trouble to the coating quality.

• Quality of electroplating or chemical coating

The formation of electroplating or chemical coating is the result of the electrochemical reaction between the substrate material of the aluminized tube and the interface in contact with the plating solution. To ensure the quality of the coating, the surface of the aluminum tube cannot have any tiny oil, rust or other sundries, plating out of the coating can be firmly combined with the smooth surface of the aluminum tube.

What Do You Need To Prepare Before Clean?

1.        Cleaning workers in the auxiliary material warehouse get ingredients according to the list of ingredients. They should prepare the cleaning liquid in advance in the cleaning basin according to the formula.

2.        Before cleaning, remove surface adhesion dirt.

3.        Ensure that there is a gap, the surface of the aluminum tube does not overlap each other, between the aluminum tube cannot be glued, ensure that the surface of the aluminum tube and the cleaning fluid in full contact, do not make the aluminum tube surface with scratches and deformation.

How To Clean Aluminum Tube?

• Physical method

If there are obvious oil and dirt on the surface of the aluminum tube, wipe it with cotton yarn.

• Chemical method

The aluminum tube with special crane and lifting equipment into kerosene pool cleaning, cleaning fluid ratio is 10% kerosene, minimum stay above 100 ㎜ in kerosene layer, the remaining 3% for 1 ~ 2 modulation of the emulsified oil emulsion, the temperature of 40 ℃ ~ 60 ℃ dip 7 ~ 10 times, can dissolve oily contaminants until clean. After coming out of the kerosene cleaning tank, the aluminum tube is lifted into the cleaning tank for cleaning. When the aluminum tube is lifted from the cleaning tank, the water column with a certain pressure is used to wash the surface of both sides of the aluminum tube.

• Oxide removal

Use the special crane and lifting equipment to lift the aluminum tube into the removal of oxidation film pool for cleaning. When preparing the solution, the chemical can only be added after the quantitative water is injected into the pool. After the batching, steam is heated and stirred to make the solution uniform.

• Alkaline wash

The aluminum tube with special crane and lifting equipment into alkali pool cleaning, with 7 ~ 10% Noah concentration, temperature of 40 ℃ ~ 60 ℃ solution soaking and lye concentration tests once a day, the concentration shall not exceed the specified value.

After coming out of the alkali pool, the aluminum tube will be hung into the cold water clear water tank for cleaning. The cleaning will take 2 minutes. When the aluminum tube is lifted from the clear water tank, the water column with a certain pressure will be used to wash the surface of both sides of the aluminum tube.

• Acid pickling

Lift the aluminum tube into the acid tank with the special crane and lifting equipment, wash it with 15 ~ 30% dilute nitric acid solution at room temperature for 1 ~ 3 minutes, neutralize it to neutral, test the acid concentration once a week and add it in time. From acid pool, aluminum tube put in 50 ℃ ~ 60 ℃ hot water should be washed 2 ~ 3 minutes in the clear water reservoirs, with a certain pressure on both sides of water flushing of the aluminum tube surface.

The above is about how to clean industrial aluminum pipe. Just as regular showering is good for hygiene, regular cleaning of aluminum tubes is good for longevity. If you need high quality aluminum tubes or costumed ones, please visit our website.