Re: Aluminum Anodizing

Luis Nadeau (nadeaul@nbnet.nb.ca)
Sat, 8 Apr 1995 01:08:45 +0300

>Luis:
>
>Well, I do not know but I'd bet that LaPlantz does. He was very friendly when
>I talked with him on the phone. I am sure that he will not mind if you call
>him at home. (707) 822-6009. For one thing he publishes his home phone
>number in his book and he seemed very interested in talking about his
>projects. So my suggestion is to give it a try.
>
>The anodizing process results in a surface that looks like a bunch of tubes
>sticking straight out of the surface. The dyes get in the tubes and then the
>ends are sealed by thermo-chemical means. The simplest one being to boil the
>aluminum in plain water after dyeing it. So you need a process that gives
>you tube length or tube diameter proportional to exposure. If there is a
>chromated colloid or other photo layer that will stand up to hot dilute
>sulphuric acid and will allow current to flow proportional to thickness then
>I'd say there is a good chance. You could get differential tube lengths or
>diameters. Either one or some combination would allow for a grey scale.
>
>The anodized surface is aluminum oxide which is at least semi-transparent.
>Maybe you can dye the surface with a photreactive material, expose, wash out
>or somehow inactivate the unreacted material and then seal. There would
>be a development step in there somewhere. The problem here is the small size
>of the tubes which may physically block some things from getting in the tubes.
>
..

I like to keep track of all printing technologies for my own research and
(upcoming) Summer school and Research Center, where people will be able to
come learn certain alternative processes, and/or study my print collection
and search my library. I have specimens produced by over 300 identified
printing, photographic, and photomechanical processes in my collection and,
while far from complete, it is slowly getting there. Those curious about
this can contact me privately and I'll e-mail them the basic list of
processes I have (not the whole database)

Now, the adonizing process: There is certainly nothing wrong with
experimenting, but to be "viable" at all, a new process has to offer
something that is not already available. It has to meet at least one of the
following criteria

1.- Be different in terms of looks.
2.- Be cheaper.
3.- Be easier.
4.- Be safer.
5.- Be more flexible.

If anyone comes up with anything "new" and viable, I'll make sure my
collection can accomodate a specimen or two from it and of course, I like
to document its characteristics.

Luis Nadeau
NADEAUL@NBNET.NB.CA
Fredericton, NB, Canada