[Amps] making aluminum heat sinks black

[Steve Thompson]

mike kendall wrote:
> I forgot to mention anything I purchase must be able to come through the US Mail as I am overseas.  Or, if it is really simple, I may be able to get it in-port here in Japan but prefer sourcing off the internet.
If you're going to blow air over it, black colour will contribute 
little, if anything. Anodising (not sure of the term used elsewhere) is 
the usual black treatment - with paint the thermal resistance in a few 
layers of paint might negate the advantages of black. Most paint shops 
have an 'etch primer' for painting raw aluminium. I suspect it's not 
acidic or caustic, but have more/different solids to be better at 
bonding, in which case the previous comment applies. The usual treatment 
prior to painting at 'professional' grade is chromate passivation (no 
way you get that through the post!).

After proper solvent degreasing, I find that ordinary acrylic spray cans 
work ok.

Steve