Pickling tape for local pre-treatment of aluminum

Aluminum is a light metal used wherever low weight is a prime consideration. Traditionally used in aircraft construction, it is increasingly employed in other sectors such as automotive engineering. But as a base metal, aluminum requires protection against corrosion, which is usually achieved by a special paint or other surface coating. Adhesive bonding is becoming increasingly popular as a means of joining lightweight metal components. But aluminum cannot be coated or bonded without an appropriate pre-treatment to remove undefined deposits of oxides, hydroxides or other contaminations that are almost always found on technical aluminum surfaces. Pickling is one of the most common techniques employed for this purpose. It involves immersion of the components in a solution of chemicals that dissolves the contaminants and provides a perfectly clean metal surface.

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