[TowerTalk] zinc chromate, was Aluminum radials

[Dubovsky, George]

Nick,

Good luck on finding good old zinc chromate primer (the pale yellow stuff); I haven't seen it in quite a few years - the chromate part doomed it. It was replaced by zinc phosphate, which is pretty good primer, but even it is getting difficult to find, around here anyway. Automotive paint stores (and probably others) sell etching primers that seem to work pretty good on aluminum. Don't know what's in them, but they are not particularly cheap.

73,

geo - n4ua

> -----Original Message-----
> From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com [mailto:towertalk-
> bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Nick Pair
> Sent: Friday, July 14, 2006 2:02 PM
> To: Bill Turner; towertalk at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Aluminum radials
> 
> Yes I have heard of this. Years ago when I used it I think it was called
> zinc chromate and was a primer for aluminum. This maybe different to what
> you refer to, but I have also seen the stuff in aircraft and surplus
> military radio gear( the jungle proofing was different) on Al panels. I
> don't think it would survive the direct burial test because somewhere it
> would be scratched and breakdown at that point. I've never seen a
> conductor with this type of coating but it maybe in use somewhere. ;-)
> 
>   Thanks for reminding me of this product. I have some aluminum I was
> thinking of painting ( bare aluminum dish on tower to stop corrosion in
> the acidic rain we have here) with spray paint and was wondering if it
> would stick. I know it will over chromate primer.
> 
>   73
>   Nick
>   WB7PEK
> 
>   ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
> 
> On Fri, 14 Jul 2006 00:38:43 -0700 (PDT), you wrote:
> 
> 
> >
> > Aluminum is a wonderful metal, they just haven't yet figured out how to
> make it hard and corrosion resistant and still high conductivity.
> 
> ------------ REPLY SEPARATOR ------------
> 
> Actually they have figured it out. The chromate conversion coating
> process makes aluminum corrosion proof even in a high temperature salt
> spray environment, and the coating is highly conductive. It's widely
> used in the aircraft industry but may not be practical for radials.
> 
> Bill, W6WRT
> 
> 
> 
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