Anodized aluminum foil sheets and expanded aluminum foil (EAF) sheets and methods of making and using the same

1 . A process for forming an anodized aluminum foil sheet material, said process comprising:

continuously feeding a sheet of aluminum foil into an anodizing bath, wherein said sheet of aluminum foil comprises (i) a sheet of expanded aluminum foil, (ii) a sheet having a sheet thickness of less than about 101.6μ (0.004 inch (4 mil)), or (iii) both (i) and (ii); and

anodizing said sheet of aluminum foil to form an anodized sheet of aluminum foil, wherein said anodized sheet of aluminum foil has a final sheet width of up to about 1.83 m (6 ft) and a final length of greater than 2.44 m (8 ft).

2 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising

taking up said anodized sheet of aluminum foil to form a roll of anodized sheet of aluminum foil having a roll width of up to about 1.83 m (6 ft), said anodized sheet of aluminum foil has a final length of up to about 1524 m (5000 ft).

3 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said sheet of aluminum foil has a sheet thickness ranging from about 38.1μ (0.0015 inch (1.5 mil)) to about 101.6μ (0.004 inch (4 mil)).

4 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said sheet of aluminum foil comprises a sheet of expanded aluminum foil having a plurality of perforations through the sheet, wherein each of the plurality of perforations has an average perforation length of up to about 2.5 cm, and an average perforation width of up to about 2.5 cm.

5 . The process of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of perforations are substantially uniformly distributed over the sheet.

6 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising

providing an unexpanded sheet of aluminum foil having a first width;

perforating the unexpanded sheet of aluminum foil to form a perforated unexpanded sheet;

expanding the perforated unexpanded sheet to form a perforated expanded sheet having a second width less than the first width; and

optionally flattening the perforated expanded sheet to form a sheet of expanded aluminum foil,

wherein said providing, perforating, expanding and optional flattening steps are performed prior to or after said anodizing step.

7 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising one or more of the following steps:

unwinding said sheet of aluminum foil from a roll of aluminum foil;

maintaining a line speed of up to about 4.57 meters per minute (15 fpm);

washing said sheet of aluminum foil with an alkaline solution prior to the anodizing step;

subjecting said sheet of aluminum foil to one or more rinsing steps;

subjecting said sheet of aluminum foil to one or more drying steps;

applying a primer to said anodized sheet of aluminum foil;

curing a primer applied to said anodized sheet of aluminum foil; and

taking up said anodized sheet of aluminum foil to form a roll of anodized sheet of aluminum foil.

8 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising:

washing said sheet of aluminum foil with an alkaline solution, prior to the anodizing step, to form a washed sheet;

rinsing the washed sheet with deionized water to form a rinsed sheet;

anodizing the rinsed sheet in an anodizing bath containing phosphoric acid to form said anodized sheet of aluminum foil;

rinsing said anodized sheet with deionized water to form a rinsed anodized sheet;

drying the rinsed anodized sheet at a drying temperature of up to about 93° C. to form a dried anodized sheet;

applying a primer to the dried anodized sheet, said primer comprising a phenolic resin; and

curing the primer at a curing temperature of up to about 177° C. to form a primed anodized sheet.

9 . The process of claim 8 , further comprising:

applying a surfacing layer with or without fiber reinforcement onto at least one outer surface of the primed anodized sheet.

10 . The process of claim 8 , wherein a surfacing film with or without fiber reinforcement is applied to one outer surface of the primed anodized sheet, and a glass fabric is applied to an opposite outer surface of the primed anodized sheet.

11 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said sheet of aluminum foil is exposed to a maximum tension of up to about 19.61 kg/m 2 (2 psi), a maximum electrical current of up to about 800 amps/m 2 , a maximum anodizing temperature of up to about 107° C. (225° F.), and a maximum line speed of about 15 feet per minute (fpm) during the process.

12 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the process comprises:

unwinding a sheet of expanded aluminum foil from a continuous roll of expanded aluminum foil having a roll length of up to or greater than 1524 m (5000 ft);

maintaining a line tension of less than about 19.61 kg/m 2 (2 psi) and a line speed of up to about 4.57 meters per minute (15 fpm);

washing the sheet of expanded aluminum foil with an alkaline solution;

rinsing the sheet of expanded aluminum foil with deionized water after the wash step;

passing the sheet of expanded aluminum foil through a phosphoric acid anodizing bath having bath parameters as follows to form an anodized sheet:

H + concentration

100 to 250 g/L

dwell time

30 seconds to

5 minutes

bath temperature

˜80 to ˜140° C.

electrical current

˜600 to ˜900 amp/m 2

voltage

˜2 to ˜60 volts

dissolved Al

<9000 ppm

drying the anodized sheet at a drying temperature of less than about 93° C. (200° F.);

applying a primer coating to the dried anodized sheet at a primer coating weight of about 0.65 g/m 2 (60 mg/ft 2 ) to about 1.08 g/m 2 (100 mg/ft 2 ) of primer on each side of the dried anodized sheet;

curing the primer coating at a cure temperature of less than about 177° C. (350° F.); and

taking up the primed, anodized sheet of expanded aluminum foil while maintaining a line tension of less than about 19.61 kg/m 2 (2 psi).

13 . The process of claim 12 , wherein the phosphoric acid anodizing bath has the following bath parameters:

H + concentration

180 to 210 g/L

dwell time

30 seconds to

2 minutes

bath temperature

˜104° C. to ˜107° C.

electrical current

˜700 to ˜800 amp/m 2

voltage

˜10 to ˜40 volts

dissolved Al

<7000 ppm

14 . An anodized sheet of expanded aluminum foil formed by the process according to claim 13 .

15 . An article of manufacture comprising an anodized sheet of aluminum foil formed by the process according to claim 1 and at least one additional layer on an outer surface of the anodized sheet of aluminum foil.

16 . An anodized sheet of expanded aluminum foil having a final sheet width of up to about 1.83 m (6 ft) and a final sheet length ranging from about 304.8 m (1000 ft) to about 1524 m (5000 ft).

17 . A roll of sheet material, wherein the sheet material comprises the sheet of claim 16 .

18 . A composite structure comprising:

an anodized sheet of expanded aluminum foil having a sheet thickness ranging from about 38.1μ (0.0015 inch (1.5 mil)) to about 101.6μ (0.004 inch (4 mil)); and

at least one additional layer on an outer surface of the anodized sheet of expanded aluminum foil.

19 . The composite structure of claim 18 , wherein the at least one additional layer comprises a film layer, a fiber-containing layer, a foam layer, an adhesive layer, a particulate layer, or a combination thereof.

20 . The composite structure of claim 18 , wherein a surfacing film comprising a first resin system with or without fiber reinforcement is applied to one outer surface of the anodized sheet of expanded aluminum foil, and a fiber-reinforced layer comprising a second resin system is applied to an opposite outer surface of the anodized sheet of expanded aluminum foil.

21 . The composite structure of claim 20 , wherein the first resin system is in contact with the second resin system via perforations in the anodized sheet of expanded aluminum foil.

22 . The composite structure of claim 20 , wherein the first resin system is substantially similar to the second resin system.

23 . The composite structure of claim 20 , wherein the first and second resin systems each independently comprise an epoxy, a toughened epoxy, a cyanate ester, a polyimide, a bismaleimide (BMI), a polyester, a polypropylene, or a combination thereof.

24 . The composite structure of claim 19 , wherein the at least one additional layer comprises a surfacing film with or without fiber reinforcement, and the composite structure has a basis weight ranging from less than about 66 grams per square meter (gsm) to about 100 gsm.

25 . The composite structure of claim 20 , wherein the composite structure has a basis weight ranging from less than about 115 grams per square meter (gsm) to about 230 gsm.

26 . An aircraft component comprising the composite structure of claim 20 .

27 . A method of providing lightning-strike protection to an article, said method comprising the steps of:

incorporating the composite structure of claim 20 into the article.

28 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the article comprises an aircraft.