Outdoor suitable antique copper color aluminum material and process

Abstract

A copper-substitute aluminum material made from a copper and cobalt anodizing process. The process includes the steps of: anodizing the aluminum material by submersing it in a basic sulfuric acid to build an anodic layer producing anodized aluminum material; combining copper and cobalt salts together in one bath; lowering the pH of the bath to between about 1.0 and about 3.0; coloring the anodized aluminum material electrolyticly by submersing the anodized aluminum material in the bath of copper and cobalt salts; and applying an electrical current to the bath plating the copper and cobalt salts into the anodized aluminum material.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A process of producing a copper-substitute aluminum material comprising the steps of submersing the aluminum material in a bath comprising a copper salt and a cobalt salt that colors and UV stabilizes the aluminum material; and applying an electrical current of about 70 to about 80 amps to the bath. 
     
     
         2 . The process of producing the copper-substitute aluminum material of  claim 1 , wherein the bath comprises about 3-7 grams per liter copper salt and about 40-80 grams per liter cobalt salt. 
     
     
         3 . The process of producing the copper-substitute aluminum material of  claim 1 , wherein the bath comprises copper salt, cobalt salt, magnesium salt, boric acid, tartaric acid, sulfuric acid, and magnesium oxide. 
     
     
         4 . The process of producing the copper-substitute aluminum material of  claim 1 , wherein the bath comprises about 3-7 grams per liter copper salt, about 40-80 grams per liter cobalt salt, about 40-80 grams per liter magnesium salt, about 10-30 grams per liter boric acid, about 0-10 grams per liter tartaric acid, sulfuric acid, and magnesium oxide. 
     
     
         5 . The process of producing the copper-substitute aluminum material  claim 1 , further comprising the step of producing two or more anodized layers. 
     
     
         6 . A copper-substitute comprising an anodized aluminum material having a surface coloring of a combination of copper and cobalt salts and having a UV stable surface.