Panel edge staining is a naturally occurring problem that occurs to

anodized Anodizing is an electrolytic passivation process used to increase the thickness of the natural oxide layer on the surface of metal parts. The process is called ''anodizing'' because the part to be treated forms the anode electrode of an elect ...

aluminium Aluminium (aluminum in AmE, American and CanE, Canadian English) is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately o ...

and stainless steel panelling and façades. It is semi-permanent staining that dulls the panel or façade's surface (in particular the edges of the panelling), reducing the natural lustre and shine produced by the anodizing processes used on the aluminium. Panel edge staining may also appear on powder coated aluminium, painted aluminium, stainless steel and titanium surfaces.

Causes

Panel edge staining is the by-product of the build-up of dirt and pollution. It is especially more noticeable on buildings using metallic façades in Asia, and regions close to the

equator The equator is a circle of latitude, about in circumference, that divides Earth into the Northern and Southern hemispheres. It is an imaginary line located at 0 degrees latitude, halfway between the North and South poles. The term can al ...

(such as

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...

South East Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...

), as higher rates of

air pollution Air pollution is the contamination of air due to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or to materials. There are many different type ...

, high levels of humidity and consistent rainfall encourage panel edge staining to develop. The unique top-to-bottom stain pattern of panel edge staining is caused when the build-up of dirt and pollution is washed from the higher panels to the lower panels of a surface by natural

precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravitational pull from clouds. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, ice pellets, graupel and hai ...

. Tuesday, 25 July 2017

Notes

References

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Staining of facades By Michael Y. L. Chew, Tan Phay PingMaintenance and Restoration of Architectural Aluminum By Service One, Inc. Technical Paper
Aluminium Corrosion Stainless steel {{corrosion-stub