The Causes of Staining in Aluminium

Aluminium is naturally attractive and resistant to corrosion, unlike a lot of other metals. When exposed to dry or moist air it combines with oxygen to form a tough, transparent, protective oxide coating, meaning the aluminium won’t rust like steel, but under certain conditions aluminium can still stain.

MA Polishing offer a professional metal cleaning service for aluminium, bronze, stainless steel and brass for clients right across the country.
In our latest blog, we are going to share the common causes of staining in aluminium.

Understanding the Impact of Staining

Staining in aluminium is usually found objectionable for aesthetic reasons and doesn’t have a significant impact on strength but may cause processing problems where additional surface finishing or fabrication is required.
Virtually all staining problems happen during shipping, handling and storage of aluminium. Incorrect practices result in water staining.

Identifying Causes of Water Staining

Aluminium and other metals can stain when water is trapped between wraps, sheets or other mating surfaces. If there is no airflow to remove the water, prolonged contact between the water and the metal causes a reaction that results in a water stain.

There are two sources for this water –

External Sources – The most obvious sources are rain, snow and water leaks. Water coming in contact with the surface of the aluminium from sources such as a leaking tarp on a truck or a roof leak in a storage area has the potential to cause a water stain.

Moisture Condensation – Air normally controls the moisture in the form of invisible water vapor. Relative humidity expressed as a percentage provides a measure of the amount of water vapor in the air compared to the total amount of water vapor that the air actually holds. As the temperature goes up, its capacity to hold water vapor also increases.

Dew point is the temperature at which water vapor from the air starts to condense and is affected by the relative humidity and air temperature.

The Finest Metal Cleaning from MA Polishing

If you have aluminium surfaces that have become discoloured or damaged, please get in touch with MA Polishing today. For over 25 years we have been working with a host of clients, including some well-known stores in the most illustrious parts of London.