Nickel-free sealing of anodized metal substrates
View Patent ↗The present subject matter relates to Nickel-free (Ni-free) sealing of anodized metal substrates. In an example mentation of the present subject matter, an anodized metal substrate is disposed with a first layer of a Ni-free sealing material over a surface of the anodized metal substrate. Further, a second layer of a second sealing material is disposed atop the first layer to sandwich the first layer of Ni-free sealing material between the surface of the anodized metal substrate and the second layer, to form a sealed metal substrate.
1. A sealed metal substrate, comprising:
an anodized metal substrate dyed with a coloring agent to impart color to the anodized metal substrate, the anodized metal substrate having surface pores;
a first sealing material consisting of a Nickel-free (Ni-free) amide disposed over the anodized metal substrate to seal the surface pores of the anodized metal substrate, wherein the Ni-free amide is formed from a combination of i) one of acetic acid, propionic acid, butanoic acid, and pentanoic acid and ii) one of ammonia, methylamine, ethylamine, and propylamine; and
a second sealing material disposed over the first sealing material.
2. The sealed metal substrate as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second sealing material is a combination of tetraethoxysilane (Si(OC 2 H 5 ) 4 ) and a long chain silane polymer solution.
3. The sealed metal substrate as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the long chain silane polymer solution comprises about 0.1 percent to 5 percent silane polymers in alcohol and water co-solvent.
4. A device, comprising:
a housing, wherein the housing comprises:
an anodized metal substrate dyed with a coloring agent to impart color to the anodized metal substrate, the anodized metal substrate having surface pores;
a first sealing material consisting of a Nickel-free (Ni-free) amide disposed over the anodized metal substrate to seal the surface pores of the anodized metal substrate, wherein the Ni-free amide is formed from a combination of i) one of acetic acid, propionic acid, butanoic acid, and pentanoic acid and ii) one of ammonia, methylamine, ethylamine, and propylamine; and
a second sealing material disposed over the first sealing material.
5. The device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the second sealing material is a combination of tetraethoxysilane (Si(OC 2 H 5 ) 4 ) and a long chain silane polymer solution.
6. The device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the long chain silane polymer solution comprises about 0.1 percent to 5 percent of silane polymers in an alcohol and water co-solvent.
7. A method, comprising:
combining i) one of acetic acid, propionic acid, butanoic acid, and pentanoic acid with ii) one of ammonia, methylamine, ethylamine, and propylamine to form a first sealing material consisting of a Nickel-free (Ni-free) amide;
dying an anodized metal substrate with a coloring agent to impart color to the anodized metal substrate, wherein the anodized metal substrate has a surface including surface pores;
disposing the first sealing material over the surface of the anodized metal substrate to seal the surface pores of the anodized metal substrate;
disposing a second sealing material atop the first sealing material to sandwich the first sealing material between the surface of the anodized metal substrate and the second sealing material to form a sealed metal substrate.
8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising combining tetraethoxysilane (Si(OC 2 H 5 ) 4 ) and a long chain silane polymer solution to form the second sealing material.
9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the long chain silane polymer solution comprises about 0.1 percent to 5 percent of silane polymers in an alcohol and water co-solvent.
10. The method as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising baking the anodized metal substrate to a temperature of about 50° centigrade to 100° centigrade for a duration of about 15 minutes to 60 minutes.
11. The method as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising dying the anodized metal substrate with the coloring agent prior to the disposing of the first sealing material.