Alusuisse-Lonza Services Ltd.

Alusuisse Technology & Management Ltd.

Erich Simon

Roman Fuchs

Volkmar Gillich

Marcus Textor

Articles of aluminum containing at least one unanodized surface or parts of at least one unanodized surface which are suitable for the deposition of layers or layer systems from the gas phase on said unanodized surfaces, the unanodized surfaces being of a refined aluminum with a degree of purity of equal to, or greater than, 98.3% by weight or aluminum alloys of said aluminum with at least one of the elements from the series comprising Si, Mg, Mn, Cu, Zn or Fe, and the surfaces have a peak-to-valley height Ra of equal to, or less than, 1 .mu.m, and the layer or the layer system is a reflective layer, in particular for radiations in the optical range.

Aluminum surfaces

A process for forming a reflective surface, comprises the steps of: providing at least a part of at least one unanodized surface which has a peak-to-valley height Ra of equal to or less than 1 micron. The unanodized surface is selected from the group consisting of (1) refined aluminum with a degree of purity equal to or greater than 98.3% by weight aluminum and (2) aluminum alloys with at least one element selected from the group consisting of Si, Mg, Mn, Cu, Zn, Fe. The unanodized surface is in a form selected from the group consisting of rolled foil, rolled sheets, and rolled strips and said unanodized surface is used as a substrate. The process further includes depositing at least two layers from the gas phase on the unanodized surface, wherein the two layers include a ceramic adhesive layer from the gas phase and at least one reflecting layer from the gas phase on said adhesive layer for the reflection of radiation with wavelengths in the optical range. The reflecting layer is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, silver, gold, copper and alloys containing at least one of aluminum, silver, gold and copper.

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Singen, Germany

Erich Simon