Faradayic Bulk Anodizing of Aluminum Parts for Small Arms

This SBIR program addresses the need for an innovative manufacturing process for bulk anodizing of a large number of small aluminum alloy parts, by cominbing bulk anodizing with a sophisticated electrochemical anodization technique and an innovative cell design. The anticipated results in this Phase I SBIR program include (1) development of a Faradayic anodizing process that meets the need for anodized layer thicknesses of 0.001 to 0.002 inches without deleterious surface problems, 2) process enhancement by combination with a hydrodynamic flow scheme that improves uniformity over current practices, 3) conceptual design of pilot-scale hardware that would be built in Phase II, 4) identification of a range of parts that would be investigated in Phase II, and 5) a detailed commercialization strategy for initially meeting the military need and then transitioning to a commercial need. Phase II will extend the development and validation program for both the parts of interest to the U.S. Air Force and the manufacturing process, with an extensive testing program. At the successful completion of the Phase I and II programs, our technology team will have demonstrated the novel bulk anodizing process and the associated enabling hardware at a Manufacturing Readiness Level of ~5.