What is the difference between Clear Class I and Clear Class II anodized?

RE: What is the difference between Clear Class I and Clear Class II anodized?

To all concerned,

Visually there typically is not much of a difference between Class I and Class II clear anodize. The difference is in the performance:

• Class I is a high-performance finish used for exterior building products that must withstand continuous outdoor exposure and high traffic. It also is more resistant to salt spray.
• Class II anodic coatings are recommended for interior applications or light exterior applications receiving regularly scheduled cleaning and maintenance such as storefronts and entrance ways.

Another difference to keep in mind is that Class I has a dry film thickness of at least 0.7 mils, while Class II can range between 0.4 to 0.7 mils. The two coatings can be nearly identical in thickness or Class I can be twice the thickness of Class II. Depending on the alloy, the finish thickness can have a significant effect on color and brightness of clear anodic films. For 6063-T6 alloy, the visual variation between Class I and Class II is minimal and unlikely to be detected by the casual observer.

Gerard Schoeb
Structural and Application Engineering Supervisor
(616) 808-2531 Direct / gschoeb@tubeliteusa.com

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