Instrument for cleaning an aluminum workpiece
A method of conditioning the surface of a work piece, in particular of a litho-strip or litho-sheet, consisting of an aluminum alloy enables an increase in manufacturing speed in surface roughening while maintaining a high quality of the electro-chemical grained surface of the work piece with relative low effort related to facility equipment. The method of conditioning comprises at least the step of degreasing the surface of the work piece with a degreasing medium, wherein the degreasing medium contains at least 1.5 to 3% by weight of a composite of 5-40% sodium tripolyphosphate, 3-10% sodium gluconate, 3-8% of a composite of non-ionic and anionic surfactants and optionally 0.5 to 70% soda, wherein sodium hydroxide is added to the degreasing medium such that the concentration of sodium hydroxide in the aqueous degreasing medium is 0.01 to 5% by weight.
1. Method of conditioning a surface of a litho-sheet or litho-strip consisting of an aluminum alloy, the method comprising at least the step of degreasing the surface of the litho-sheet or litho-strip with an aqueous degreasing medium, wherein the aqueous degreasing medium comprises at least 1.5 to 3% by weight of a composite of 5-40% sodium tripolyphosphate, 3-10% sodium gluconate, 3-8% of a composite of non-ionic and anionic surfactants and optionally 0.5-70% soda, wherein the aqueous degreasing medium comprises sodium hydroxide such that a concentration of sodium hydroxide in the aqueous degreasing medium is 0.01 to 5% by weight.
2. Method according to claim 1 , wherein time of application of the aqueous degreasing medium is at most 7 s.
3. Method according to claim 1 , wherein temperature of the aqueous degreasing medium is 50 to 85° C.
4. Method according to claim 1 , wherein pH-value of the aqueous degreasing medium is from 10 to 14.
5. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the litho-strip is conditioned subsequently to manufacturing the litho strip.
6. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy is selected from the group consisting of AA1050, AA1100, AA3103 and AlMg0.5.
7. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy includes the following alloying constituents in percent by weight:
0.05%≦
Si ≦ 0.15%,
0.3%≦
Fe ≦ 0.4%,
Cu ≦ 0.01%,
Mn ≦ 0.05%,
Mg ≦ 0.01%,
Zn ≦ 0.015%,
Ti ≦ 0.015%,
impurities individually at most 0.005% in total at most 0.15%, rest Al; or
0.05%≦
Si ≦ 0.25%,
0.30%≦
Fe ≦ 0.40%,
Cu ≦ 0.04%,
Mn ≦ 0.05%,
0.1%≦
Mg ≦ 0.3%,
Ti ≦ 0.04% and
impurities individually at most 0.005% in total at most 0.15%, rest Al; or
0.05%≦
Si ≦ 0.5%,
0.40%≦
Fe ≦ 1%,
Cu ≦ 0.04%,
0.08%≦
Mn ≦ 0.3%,
0.05%≦
Mg ≦ 0.3%,
Ti ≦ 0.04% and
impurities individually at most 0.005% in total at most 0.15%, rest Al.