Aluminum profiles are stored on racks in a vertical or horizontal position in heated premises at a temperature of 5 °C to 35 °C at relative air humidity no more than 75%. The daily temperature difference should be no more than 5 °C.
Avoid direct sunlight on the profiles.
When the outdoor air temperature is below 0 °C, the semi-finished products must be aged after unloading in an auxiliary room from 1 to 2 days.
There are a number of mandatory rules for storing aluminum profiles:
- The storage areas must be clean and dry.
- Profiles must be carefully covered during storage period. This is to protect them, firstly, from pollution and dust, and secondly, from the possible ingress of a spark from equipment operating in the room, for example, a grinder or a welding machine.
- The room where aluminum profiles are stored must be well ventilated. To prevent condensation on the profiles when stored in the transport packaging, the latter must be sufficiently open to allow air to circulate along the profile. It is also necessary to ensure that the profile does not get wet during transportation.
Aluminum profiles without additional protective finishing after pressing require special conditions for transportation and storage. Such profiles must be stored in dry rooms with a stable temperature regime to avoid condensation. If such profiles are not isolated from each other and moisture gets on them (condensate, rain, etc.), this contributes to the rapid appearance of crevice corrosion and the formation of hard-to-remove light and dark spots on the profile surfaces. This will lead to a loss of presentation, although it will not affect the strength properties of the profiles.
Also, do not store an uncoated profile in open areas. When stored in this way, the profile is exposed to oxygen and moisture for a long time, which can lead to color loss. If the profiles get wet, they should be wiped and dried immediately.
When working with a profile without a protective coating, it is imperative to use gloves, otherwise sweat from the hands (usually acidic) can cause corrosion of the profile surface.
When profiles are stored for a long time without protective coatings, an oxide film appears on their surface, which can affect the quality of subsequent anodizing.
