Part is 1/2 blue 4A, 1/2 Deep red. red fades when boiled

[frubino]

Product: anodize
Base Metal: Aluminum
Amperage: 5
Voltage: 13
Temperature: 75
Duration: 100
Area: 140
Power Source: batt charger
Surface Prep: Buff,soap,desmut,rinse
Problem: Part is 1/2 blue dye 4A and 1/2 Deep red. When the part hits the boiling water for sealing the blue looks great and the red fades FAST and comes of in areas. BOTH BLUE AND RED LOOK GREAT until the part hits the water.

Solution:
Try hanging the part in the STEAM for 15 mins prior to immersion. Failing that, post this on the forum. There could be several things wrong here, and you'll get several answers.

Comment/Problem: Yes this was better but the red dye bled onto an area that was suppose to be silver and still got streaks from the steam. Is this just a problem with red dye and boiling or am i making a mistake with anodizing times ?

[M_D]

From my experience the statement about several possible things being wrong is true.

First off, when you say the red fades I assume the color looses depth and intensity, which can happen. When you say it comes off, that raises a question, and depending on the answer it could lead two different ways. Does “coming off,” mean it just fades away and is even on the entire surface? If so, the pore structure may be off, the dye time, temperature, or ph may need adjusting. The red dyes the slowest for us, it gets to looking good wet, but needs a bit more time to have the same color depth sealed. We can get the deep red quite dark, but it takes 40-50 minutes to completely saturate in color for us. Black, blue and other colors are much faster, as little as 1-2 minutes under certain conditions.

Or does the red turn chalky and patchy, with some spots that look good? How does the gloss, or surface texture, on the red, blue, and pre-anodized part compare? Once the part is sealed, does color still rub off? If so, it’s probably an anodizing problem.

Secondly, do you know for sure what concentration your electrolyte is, and was distilled or RO water used?

Third, how are you reading the current, and controlling it with the charger?

If you can elaborate and answer these questions accurately, I think there is a very good chance of discovering the problem(s).