©AIRBUS INDUSTRIE

PROCESS AND MATERIAL SPECIFICATION

PROCESS SPECIFICATION

01-01-21

ALKALINE PICKLING
OF ALUMINUM ALLOYS

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 ©AIRBUS INDUSTRIE
PROCESS AND MATERIAL SPECIFICATION

RECORD OF REVISIONS

REV . ISSUE INSERTED REV . ISSUE INSERTED

NO . DATE DATE BY NO . DATE DATE BY

01 Aug 01/93

ROR 01-01-21
Page 1
Aug 01 /93
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 ©AIRBUS IHDUSTRIE
PROCESS AND MATERIAL SPECIFICATION

LIST OF EFFECTIVE PAGES

SUBJECT PAGE DATE

RECORD OF REVISION 1 Aug 01/93

LIST OF EFFECTIVE PAGES 1 Aug 01/93

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Aug 01/93

01-01-21 1 Aug 01/93

01-01-21 2 Aug 01/93
01-01-21 3 Aug 01/93
01-01-21 4 Aug 01/93
01-01-21 5 Aug 01/93

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 ©AIRBUS INDUSTRIE
PROCESS AND MATERIAL SPECIFICATION

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SUBJECT PAGE

1. GENERAL 1

2 . EQUIPMENT, MATERIAL S, PERSONNEL 1

2 .1 Pickling agents 1
2 .2 Tanks 1
2 .3 Racks and jigs 1
2 .4 Health and safety statement 2

3. PROCESS 2

3 .1 Pre-treatment 2
3 .2 Rinsing 2
3 .3 Pickling 2
3 .4 Rinsing 2
3 .5 Post-treatment (De-smutting) 2
3 .6 Double rinsing 2
3 .7 Process flow chart 3

4. QUALITY REQUIREMENTS

4 .1 Inspection of components 3
4 .2 Checking the baths 3

5. REFERENCE DOCUMENTS 4

Appendix 1 5

TOC 01-01-21
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 ©AIRBUS INDUSTRIE
PROCESS AND MATERIAL SPECIFICATION

1. GENERAL

This Document shall not be used as a basis for manufacture and supply of
original and replacement parts to AIRBUS INDUSTRIE unless specifically
required in a contract or purchase agreement .

The alkaline pickling of aluminum alloys is a pre-treatment process for

electrolytic and chemical surface treatment . It is a pickling process which
in removing oxide layers involves metal removal (S gum per surface) and
increases surface roughness .

A freshly pickled and de-smutted surface is susceptible to corrosion and

must be protected, if not proceeding immediately to further treatments .

The process must not be employed on components joined by rivets, seam

welding, spot welding, screwing or bolting, connected to other materials
(e .g . steel, magnesium) or coated with organic substances (e .g . coats of
paint) and also on components which are subjected to prestressed shot
peening .

Hollow parts may only by pickled if it is possible for the pickling liquid
to run off easily when removing the parts from the bath and if it is
possible to carry out the subsequent rinsing operation successfully .

Make sure that the pickling permits a good circulation at the interior of
the cavities of the machined parts .

2. EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, PERSONNEL

2 .1 Pickling agents

Pickling solution shall be free of silicates, cyanides and chromates .

Some approved products are given in Appendix 1 .

Solutions in which parts to be subsequetly adhesive bonded are pickled

shall be made up and replenished using demineralized water .

2 .2 Tanks

Tanks shall be manufactured from suitably resistant material, and shall be

heated and fitted with suitable temperature indicating and regulating
equipment . Air agitation and rim extraction shall be fitted .

2 .3 Racks and Jigs

Suitable racks or jigs shall be provided (e .g . in the form of basket,

racks or wires depending on the shape of the component) .

Racks of copper alloys are not permitted .

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PROCESS AND MATERIAL SPECIFICATION

2 .4 Health and Safety Statement

This specification does not necessarily detail the precautions necessary

to meet the requirements of health and safety .

It is responsibility of the user of this specification to consult and

establish appropriate health and safety precautions and the method should
be operated only by trained personnel .

3. PROCESS

3 .1 Pre-treatment

The components shall be cleaned prior to pickling by degreasing to

PMS 01-01-01 and/or PMS 01-01-03 as required .

3 .2 Rinsing

Rinse for 2 minutes

3 .3 Pickling

The components shall be suspended in the pickling solution using suitable

racks or jigs in such a way to prevent touching of one part by another
and to maximise subsequent rinsing operations .

3 .3 .1 Pickling shall be carried out for the times and at the temperatures
given if using the solution in Appendix 1 .

3 .4 Rinsing

Rinsing must be carried out immediately after pickling using tap water
either by spray or immersion for a time to ensure removal of the alkaline
pickle .

3 .5 Post-treatment (De-smutting)

Immediately after rinsing, the components shall be de-smutted in an acid

bath to remove oxide Layers (see Appendix 1) .

The grey coating in alloys with high silicon content cannot be removed by
nitric acid . For these alloys, de-smutting must be carried out in a
mixture of nitric acid/hydrofluoric (see Appendix 1) .

The operation must be carried out "wet on wet" .

3 .6 Double rinsing

Rinse twice, 2 minutes minimum on each occasion .

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 %AIRBUS INDUSTRIE
PROCESS AND MATERIAL SPECIFICATION

3 .7 Process flow chart

Cleaning per
PMS 01-01-01/03
per Para . 3 .1

Rinsing per
Para . 3 .2

Pickling per
Para . 3 .3

Rinsing per
Para . 3 .4

Post-treatment
(De-smutting)
per Para . 3 .5

Double rinsing
per Para . 3 .6

Checking per
Para . 4 .1

4. QUALITY REQUIREMENTS

4 .1 Inspection of components

The treated components shall be visually inspected after de-smutting for

uniform surface appearance and for even wetability .

4 .2 Checking the baths

The pickling and de-smutting solutions shall be checked prior to use, for
temperature, solution level and freedom from contamination .

The etch rate shall be checked prior to use to ensure that the
requirements of Appendix 1 are met .

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PROCESS AND MATERIAL SPECIFICATION

S. REFERENCE DOCUMENTS

PMS 01-01-01 Degreasing using chlorinated solvents in vapor phase

PMS 01-01-03 Alkaline degreasing

PMS 01-01-08 Pickling austenitic stainless steel

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 ©AIRBUS INDUSTRIE
PROCESS AND MATERIAL SPECIFICATION

COMPOSITION/CONCENTRATION TEMPERATURE TIME REMARKS

(°C) (minutes)

15 - 20 g/L (1) 35 ± 5
P3-Almeco 51 1,5 - 3 0 .5 to 1 ,um/min/side
50 t 5 g/L (2) 60 f 6

NaOH 42 f 14 g/L
45 - 55 x) 1 .2 to 3 jum/min/side
DEMINERALIZED WATER Reminder

Alkaline pickling bath (para . 3 .3)

1) Bonding parts
2) Other components
x) to be calculated from the etch rate for the desired depth with a max .
of 3 minutes .

COMPOSITION/CONCENTRATION TEMPERATURE TIME REMARKS

(° C) (sec)

1) Nitric acid d=1,38 600-750 ml/L

15 - 30 5 - 15 PVC lined iron
2) Fluoric acid 707. 150-200 ml/L

Post-treatment bath (De-smutting) (para 3 .5)

NOTE : For general rule : use only 1)

For alloys with high silicon content : boths 1) and 2)

Appendix 1 01-01-21
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