White anodic films with multiple layers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10760175-B2
Application number	US-201615333070-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2016
Priority date	Oct 30, 2015
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

Anodic films that have a white color, and methods for forming the same, are described. According to some embodiments, the anodic films have multiple metal oxide layers. A first layer can provide scratch and chemical resistance and a second layer can provide a light diffusing pore structure that diffusely reflects incoming light and provides a white appearance to the anodic film. According to some embodiments, the anodic films also include a smoothed barrier layer that specularly reflects incoming light so as to brighten the appearance and enhance the white color of the anodic film. The resulting anodic films have an opaque white appearance not achievable using conventional techniques. The anodic films are well suited for providing cosmetically appealing coatings for consumer products, such as housings for electronic products.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming an anodic substrate having a white appearance, the method comprising:
forming a first anodic layer that overlays an aluminum alloy substrate by anodizing the aluminum alloy substrate in a first electrolyte, wherein the first anodic layer includes a first porous region defining a first plurality of pores having first diameters, the first porous region being defined by first pore walls that extend from openings in an external surface of the first anodic layer; and
forming a second anodic layer, overlaid by the first anodic layer, by anodizing the aluminum alloy substrate in a second electrolyte different than the first electrolyte, the second anodic layer including a second porous region defining a second plurality of pores having second diameters greater than the first diameters, wherein the second porous region shares the openings in the external surface, and is defined by second pore walls contiguous with and thicker than the first pore walls, the second pore walls including light-diffusing surface features.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
forming a barrier layer that is disposed between the aluminum alloy substrate and the second anodic layer.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein a thickness of the barrier layer is between 150 nm to 800 nm.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first pores have a columnar shape.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first electrolyte includes oxalic acid or sulfuric acid, and the second electrolyte includes phosphoric acid.

6. An anodized substrate having a white appearance for a consumer electronic product, the anodized substrate comprising:
an aluminum alloy substrate;
a first anodic layer overlaying the aluminum alloy substrate and having an external surface, the first anodic layer including a first porous region defining a first plurality of pores having first diameters, wherein the pores of the first plurality of pores are defined by first pore walls and are accessible from openings in the external surface; and
a second anodic layer disposed between the aluminum alloy substrate and the first anodic layer, the second anodic layer including a second porous region defining a second plurality of pores having second diameters greater than the first diameters, wherein the second plurality of pores are accessible via the openings in the external surface, and are defined by second pore walls having light-diffusing surfaces, the second pore walls being thicker than the first pore walls.

7. The anodized substrate of claim 6 , wherein the first and second anodic layers have a combined W 10 value of at least 75.

8. The anodized substrate of claim 6 , further comprising:
a barrier layer disposed between the aluminum alloy substrate and the second anodized layer, and the barrier layer has a thickness between 150 nanometers to 800 nanometers.

9. The anodized substrate of claim 6 , wherein the light-diffusing surfaces are oriented other than orthogonal to the external surface of the first anodic layer.

10. The anodized substrate of claim 6 , wherein the second pore walls are irregular.

11. The anodized substrate of claim 8 , wherein the barrier layer has a profile variance of no greater than 6% of a thickness of the barrier layer.

12. The anodized substrate of claim 6 , wherein the second porous region is overlaid by the first porous region.

13. The anodized substrate of claim 6 , wherein the second porous region extends from the first porous region and towards the aluminum alloy substrate.

14. The anodized substrate of claim 6 , wherein the light-diffusing surfaces diffusely reflect visible light incident upon the external surface, thereby imparting the white appearance to the anodized substrate.

15. An anodized part for an electronic device, the anodized part comprising:
an aluminum alloy substrate;
a first anodic layer overlaying the aluminum alloy substrate and having a first porous region that extends from openings in an external surface of the first anodic layer, wherein the first porous region defines a first plurality of pores having first diameters and defined by first pore walls; and
a second anodic layer disposed between the aluminum alloy substrate and the first anodic layer, wherein the second anodic layer includes a second porous region defining a second plurality of pores having second diameters greater than the first diameters, the second plurality of pores sharing the openings in the external surface and being defined by second pore walls that have light-diffusing surface features and are thicker than the first pore walls.

16. The anodized part of claim 15 , further comprising:
a non-porous barrier layer disposed between the aluminum alloy substrate and the second anodic layer.

17. The anodized part of claim 15 , wherein the first and second anodic layers have an L* value of 80 or higher, a b* value between −3 to +6, and an a* value between −3 to +3.

18. The anodized part of claim 15 , wherein the first and second anodic layers have a W 10 value of at least 75.

19. The anodized substrate of claim 8 , wherein a metal oxide particle is infused within at least one of the first or second porous regions.

20. The anodized substrate of claim 6 , wherein the first diameters are between 30 nanometers to 100 nanometers.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Tatebe Masashige
• Oshima Takahiro
• Akana Jody R
• Nakagishi Yutaka
• Katayama Junichi
• Hara Kenji
• Ito Yasuhiro
• Hongou Ayumi

Classifications

• C25D11/10

  containing organic acids · CPC title

• C25D11/12

  Anodising more than once, e.g. in different baths · CPC title

• C25F3/20

  of aluminium · CPC title

• C25D11/16

  Pretreatment {, e.g. desmutting} · CPC title

• C25D11/24

  Chemical after-treatment · CPC title