Houghton Patents Aluminum Etching Technology

Houghton International Inc. (Norristown, PA) and Houghton Technical Corp. (Valley Forge, PA) has announced that the Canadian Patent Office has issued Canadian Patent No. 2,618,915, entitled “Methods and Compositions for Acid Treatment of a Metal Surface.”

This patent is directed towards the company’s technology for aluminum acid etching, which is formulated to provide a uniform fine matte satin finish on aluminum and aluminum alloys prior to anodizing and/or coloring. Unlike alkaline etching, this technology produces a superior matte finish while significantly reducing aluminum removal and sludge waste. It is performed at lower temperatures and requires less processing time compared to conventional caustic etch systems.

Canadian Patent No. 2,618,915 adds to the company’s acid etching patent portfolio, which also includes U.S. Patent No. 8,518,286, U.S. Patent No. 8,252,195 and other pending applications. Houghton Metal Finishing (HMF) is a division of Houghton International that specializes in providing complete proprietary chemical products to the aluminum finishing and anodizing industries.

www.houghtonintl.com