Aluminium is very susceptible to corrosion, in fact on some engineering projects aluminium is chosen as a sacrificial element to protect other metals. The cause of the corrosion is from pollution and impurities in the atmosphere or a by contact between dissimilar metals or alloys.

In fact the above two causes are linked since it the impurities (ionic compounds) that form an electrolyte, the electronic conductor essential for corrosion to occur. These impurities such as salt near coastal locations can influence the process significantly. A familiar everyday example of such corrosion is the rusting of steel. In the extreme case of aluminium it can literally dissolve, my brother recently sent an order of machinery his company produces to China having changed the specification on some aluminium parts from anodised to plain aluminium and these became exposed to damp sea air which literally destroyed the aluminium in the 45 days of shipment!

The process is called Galvanic Corrosion, and is widely recognised within the PV industry since the process occurs between stainless steel and aluminium, it is the aluminium that is attacked and corrodes. The industry response is to maintain that only high grade stainless steel (grade 300 or above) are used which is said to reduce the process but not stop it!

Clenergy logical solution is to prevent the process from occurring at all by keeping the aluminium dry and shielded from ionic compounds within the atmosphere. 

This is achieved by anodising our aluminium components which form a very hard protective shield of aluminium oxide and more importantly is electrically insullating thus preventing / reducing this form of corrossion.

In conclusion anodising of aluminium components is not only a visual but a very important physical advantage for Clenergy and a very good case for us to make against our competitors who do not provide this as standard (if at all) and though this adds to our production costs it is a cost that Europe could not match and probably why these companies only offer anodisation as an expensive optionl.

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