"H" Salt Bath, British Aluminium

Maker
John Rae
Production date
1980s
 Description
Aluminium sheets for aircraft manufacture being quenched in a tank of water after treatment in the salt baths. The Nitric Acid tank in the foreground was used only occasionally for special etching processes unrelated to aircraft sheet manufacture.

Object detail

Department
Photo
Collection
British Alcan/Business Group
Maker
Production date
1980s
Subject place
British Alcan/David's Loan/Bainsford/Falkirk area
Subject notes
Aluminium used for aircraft manufacture had to undergo further softening. This was done by chemical means rather than by furnaces. The sheets were dipped firstly in a caustic soda solution to remove any oil residue then into a wash tank. They were then put in a salt solution heated to 600C and then quenched in cold water. They were then dried in a drying oven. Water from the Forth & Clyde Canal was used in the wash tank.
Accession number
P44709

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