Aluminum corrosion Protectant

I'm really lazy so I like the shine to last as long as possible. I use Purple metal polish along with their pre-treatment on aluminum and I've been using some Meguiar's hybrid ceramic wax over everything - including painted areas too. This is a spray on, hose off, wipe up job that is quick and lasts a long time. After the first application you don't use much.
Russ
 
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Thanks guys. Lots of good info here.
I'm trying to protect the 'Stock' sliders on other bikes without polishing them.
Also looking for additional protection on my polished pieces as I live within 10 miles of the Salt.
An obvious solution is wax, which I had never considered.
The two products I was trying to recall from a previous thread were Sharkhide and ACF50.
Wax being such an obvious I'll start there, since I have plenty.

I think there is a member here who lives by the Salt and coats all his polished aluminum with Sharkhide?
And it holds up well. Maybe he'll speak up.
 
Wasn't there a thread at one time regarding a product marketed by Boeing to protect aluminum? Believe it was "Boeshine" or some similar sounding name, perhaps "Boeshield".

As a side note, there is a builder of aluminum bodied tank trucks in my area and when they but a mirror finish on the finished tanks they polish them with the cheapest general purpose baking flour they can get. Buy it in large super sacks. Generally, it is product that has been contaminated and classed as unfit for human consumption. Found the thread, "wipe Down" by Alan Hodge, 10/10/2017 response 15.
T W Hudson
 
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Polish threads are nearly as good as oil threads... As another side note, I use that waxy corrosion stop on nut and bolts that are exposed to the elements. Works for a pretty long time, just dab with a paintbrush. My old Willys wagon had many exposed metal parts that would corrode even in dry Southern California weather.
 
If well polished in most environments, generally none required.

Aluminum self-protects: "Aluminum’s unique self-protective properties come from the formation of a thin, highly adherent aluminum oxide (Al2O3) layer. Upon exposure to oxygen, aluminum reacts to form aluminum oxide, creating a dense and impermeable barrier that prevents further oxidation of the underlying aluminum. This oxide layer is self-repairing; if scratched or damaged, the exposed aluminum quickly re-oxidizes, restoring the protective layer."

However, in salty air: "Salt air, containing chloride ions, can significantly affect aluminum surfaces, leading to corrosion. The chloride ions disrupt the protective oxide layer on aluminum, causing localized corrosion such as pitting. This process is electrochemical in nature, involving anodic metal dissolution and cathodic oxygen reduction reactions. Salt exposure can induce several types of corrosion on aluminum, including pitting corrosion, crevice corrosion, and galvanic corrosion. To mitigate salt air corrosion, it is essential to apply protective coatings and ensure proper maintenance of aluminum components exposed to salty air."
Finally got around to taking a picture. I buffed this on a bench buffer using black buffing compound 17 months ago - no attempt for a show polish. My heat pump in my shop went out in June of last year so since then in an uncontrolled environment. It has no protectant at all. It is still being built so has not been on the road.


Aluminum corrosion Protectant
 
When i was helping with a racer , i got gifts of ACF50 from a sponsor . A wipe over chrome and alloy after a few rides keeps the oxides away and its ok to use on electrics too.
 
Zymol cleaner wax is my favorite. I use it on paint, alloys, steel, even exhaust and exhaust headers. So pretty much everything. I think the last time I applied it to the lower forks on my AJS model 31 was sometime in the noughties. Still looks great!
 
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