Method for improving the corrosion resistance and lightfastness of painted aluminum oxide layers

1. A process for the preparation of a corrosion-resistant, colored oxide layer on aluminum or an aluminum alloy comprising the steps of applying a polysilazane solution to a dry oxide layer colored with a water-soluble, anionic colorant to form a coating and curing the coating at a temperature in the range from 40 to 150° C., wherein the polysilazane solution comprises a solvent, a catalyst and a polysilazane or a mixture of polysilazanes of the formula 1

—(SiR′R″—NR′″) n   (1)

where R′, R″, R′″ are identical or different and independently of one another are hydrogen or an optionally substituted alkyl, aryl, vinyl or (trialkoxysilyl)alkyl radical, where n is an integer and n is calculated such that the polysilazane or mixture of polysilazanes has a number average molecular weight of 150 to 150 000 g/mol, wherein the oxide layer has a thickness in the range from 5 to 30 μm before the curing step, wherein the coating has a layer thickness of 1 to 10 μm after the curing step.

2. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the oxide layer is produced by anodization.

3. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the polysilazane solution contains at least compound selected from group consisting of additives for influencing the viscosity, substrate wetting, film formation, and combinations thereof, and, optionally, at least one compound selected from the group consisting of inorganic nanoparticles, UV stabilizers and mixtures thereof.

4. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein with a colorant which has a light fastness of at most 4, an improvement in the light fastness by at least 3 light fastness grades, as measured according to ISO directive No. 2135-1984, is achieved by the process.

5. A corrosion-resistant colored oxide layer on aluminum or an aluminum alloy made in accordance with the process of claim 1 .