Can you explain the chemistry at all? I have been anodizing Ti for jewelry since 2003, and black was always a heat/quench process. The anodizing layer is Titanium Oxide, with the color depending on the thickness of the layer, and that is dialed in by the DC voltage. How is using MgSO4 get black? Have you tried it at lower voltages to see what happens? Side note, what about red? I was told there is a similar process to get a fire-truck red on Ti, but nodoby has a chemical name to share.
Way above my pay grade for the scientific breakdown. it works and its easy:) the heat quench process is very evolved and never really gets true black. I'm guess this is a lot like blackening copper. its just a reaction of the Manganese with the titanium at certain voltages. Lower voltages get you somewhat expected anodizing colors, its a little different though. I havent been able to figure out red yet. maybe in another 15 years! haha
Seems to be like it is Manganese oxide forming on surface of titanium, I just tried this method now it is very fragile literally scratches away with nails if to push hard. I am not much of a chemistry guy but anyway here is what I found through some calculations online and a bit of a logic: we dissolve MnSO4 in H2O which creates a reaction that is MnSO4 + 2H2O → Mn(OH)2 + H2SO4 So there is Sulfuric acid and Manganese Hydrooxide formed. Later when you anodize parts Manganese hydrooxide is been decomposed to Manganese oxide and Hydrogen. I am not 100% sure that it is really like that, but according to the fragileness of layer and other observations it is most likely so. Also what i found myself after some experiments is that this solution is not blackening titanium if it was preanodized in any colors, and if you scratch away this black oxide there wil be anodized colored titanium underneeth for example if you blackened it on 45V than you scratch it there will be lemon gold color just like you anodized it. I think that at least it makes it clear of that this black oxide is not Ti oxide, which is very sad sure, I make titanium jewellery too, and always searching for different new techniques and ways to blacken it. Anyway this method is very intresting, super easy and 100% working. Not suitable for some hard use tools or jewelry, but still useful for some other decorative parts I think, So thanks to Author for sharing anyway. UPD: Forgot to mention, this method is making absolutely identical black color on any kind of titanium alloys, which also says that it is not titanium oxide, because as you know when titanium is heat blackened the darkness of color depends straight on the exact alloy contents.
titanium works fine. I just use copper because I had a sheet. been working well for 15 years now. titanium will require less cleaning so thats always a plus.
Nice! I mentioned this technique on reddit and everyone quickly pointed out to me that the finish is too "fragile" to be practical. Haven't tried it myself to confirm one way or another - have you noticed it wearing more than other annos since y'all have been doing this?
I make hard use tools, been doing it for 22 years now. I do anodizing and DLC finishes. I find pros and cons to everything. It is no more fragile than any other anodizing I have done. 99% of the durability is based on the base finish. a sandblasted part will scratch and snail trail really easy. a tumbled part will already have scratches so you can never tell, a bead blast finish is the most durable and holds up well. Most people who poo poo on the idea will never actually use the dang thing enough to warrant their preconceived notion anyhow so who cares:) If you have to have black and it NEEDS to be super durable then you have no other choice than to use DLC. I will note that not all DLC is created equal though. I went through 6 different coaters with different processes for DLC when we did our tactical kitchen knife line. mostly because the coating was leaving black marks on cheese of all things.
The video we didn’t know we needed. God bless you Jake! 🙏
thanks brotha!
Do you think this will work on solid zirconium?
zirk turns black with just heat. no reason to anodize it like this.
Can you explain the chemistry at all? I have been anodizing Ti for jewelry since 2003, and black was always a heat/quench process.
The anodizing layer is Titanium Oxide, with the color depending on the thickness of the layer, and that is dialed in by the DC voltage.
How is using MgSO4 get black? Have you tried it at lower voltages to see what happens?
Side note, what about red? I was told there is a similar process to get a fire-truck red on Ti, but nodoby has a chemical name to share.
Way above my pay grade for the scientific breakdown. it works and its easy:) the heat quench process is very evolved and never really gets true black. I'm guess this is a lot like blackening copper. its just a reaction of the Manganese with the titanium at certain voltages. Lower voltages get you somewhat expected anodizing colors, its a little different though.
I havent been able to figure out red yet. maybe in another 15 years! haha
Seems to be like it is Manganese oxide forming on surface of titanium, I just tried this method now it is very fragile literally scratches away with nails if to push hard.
I am not much of a chemistry guy but anyway here is what I found through some calculations online and a bit of a logic: we dissolve MnSO4 in H2O which creates a reaction that is MnSO4 + 2H2O → Mn(OH)2 + H2SO4
So there is Sulfuric acid and Manganese Hydrooxide formed.
Later when you anodize parts Manganese hydrooxide is been decomposed to Manganese oxide and Hydrogen.
I am not 100% sure that it is really like that, but according to the fragileness of layer and other observations it is most likely so.
Also what i found myself after some experiments is that this solution is not blackening titanium if it was preanodized in any colors, and if you scratch away this black oxide there wil be anodized colored titanium underneeth for example if you blackened it on 45V than you scratch it there will be lemon gold color just like you anodized it. I think that at least it makes it clear of that this black oxide is not Ti oxide, which is very sad sure, I make titanium jewellery too, and always searching for different new techniques and ways to blacken it.
Anyway this method is very intresting, super easy and 100% working. Not suitable for some hard use tools or jewelry, but still useful for some other decorative parts I think, So thanks to Author for sharing anyway.
UPD: Forgot to mention, this method is making absolutely identical black color on any kind of titanium alloys, which also says that it is not titanium oxide, because as you know when titanium is heat blackened the darkness of color depends straight on the exact alloy contents.
Titanium plate ok as the anode or cathode (whichever one is the plate that stays in lol)?? Or is copper important for blackening?
titanium works fine. I just use copper because I had a sheet. been working well for 15 years now. titanium will require less cleaning so thats always a plus.
I have a 0-3 Amp dc power supply .... do you think that is strong enough to do the black??
amperage needs depend on the size of the part being anodized. if your doing small parts and you have the needed voltage you should be fine
Nice! I mentioned this technique on reddit and everyone quickly pointed out to me that the finish is too "fragile" to be practical. Haven't tried it myself to confirm one way or another - have you noticed it wearing more than other annos since y'all have been doing this?
I make hard use tools, been doing it for 22 years now. I do anodizing and DLC finishes. I find pros and cons to everything. It is no more fragile than any other anodizing I have done. 99% of the durability is based on the base finish. a sandblasted part will scratch and snail trail really easy. a tumbled part will already have scratches so you can never tell, a bead blast finish is the most durable and holds up well.
Most people who poo poo on the idea will never actually use the dang thing enough to warrant their preconceived notion anyhow so who cares:)
If you have to have black and it NEEDS to be super durable then you have no other choice than to use DLC.
I will note that not all DLC is created equal though. I went through 6 different coaters with different processes for DLC when we did our tactical kitchen knife line. mostly because the coating was leaving black marks on cheese of all things.
@ killer info, much appreciated sir
I can never remember annode/cathode - i just remember you put the Part you’re anoodizing on the Positive/Plus.
P for Positive and for Part 😂 1:44
good way to think about it:)