The Metallurgy of Anodizing Aluminum

In this book, the history of the concepts critical to the discovery and development of aluminum, its alloys and the anodizing process are reviewed to provide a foundation for the challenges, achievements, and understanding of the complex relationship between the aluminum alloy and the reactions that occur during anodic oxidation.  Empirical knowledge that has long sustained industrial anodizing is clarified by viewing the process as corrosion science, addressing each element of the anodizing circuit in terms of the Tafel Equation.  This innovative approach enables a new level of understanding and engineering control for the mechanisms that occur as the oxide nucleates and grows, developing its characteristic highly ordered structure, which impact the practical function of the anodic aluminum oxide.

Dr. Jude Mary Runge is a metallurgical engineer and surface scientist whose career spans over 35 years in industrial, government, and academic professional settings.  Her analytical expertise and experience encompass a variety of manufacturing processes for diverse materials as well as the science and engineering of metal finishing. She is internationally recognized as a nonferrous specialist focussing on the metallurgy of aluminium and aluminium alloys including the theoretical treatment of porous anodic oxide formation. Dr. Runge received her Masters of Science (1982), under William Rostoker, and Ph.D. (1997) in Metallurgy at the University of Illinois at Chicago, under Michael McNallan.