Anodized paint is a misnomer as anodizing can only be done on metal surfaces. Anodizing creates a corrosion-resistant layer and can add color through dyeing. Anodized paint only gives the appearance of anodizing and does not have its properties.
Anodized paint is a bit of a misleading term. Regular paint is never anodized, but some paints give an anodized look to surfaces. To complicate matters further, when an anodized surface is colored, it’s not actually painted, it’s dyed. Anodizing is a process performed on metal surfaces which makes them more resistant to corrosion and wear. This is achieved by increasing the overall thickness of the oxide layer present on the surface of most metals. This creates a buffer between the environment and the actual metal underneath.
Anodizing can only be done on metal surfaces, which makes anodized paint an impossible item. Typically, a paint advertised as anodized will simply give the appearance of an anodized finish. This typically means that when the paint is dry, it will look like a colored metal rather than paint over a metallic surface. In most cases, anodized paint imparts only the look and not the other common properties of an anodized surface.
The anodizing process gives the metal surface a new set of chemical properties. This is done through controlled passivation. An electric current is applied to the material which promotes oxidation on the surface. When done correctly, this will result in a porous, low friction, corrosion resistant layer of the underlying metal. If done incorrectly, it results in increased corrosion rates and weakened materials.
In addition to the protective properties, the anodized metal will take on a new color very well. The anodized layer is porous, which means it is full of tiny holes and chambers. When the color is applied to the surface, it absorbs just as if the surface were cloth or wood. When the color hardens, it has become part of the anodized layer. Consequently, adding color to anodized metal is a form of dyeing rather than painting.
Since it, in effect, becomes part of the metal, anodized paint has a very distinct look. For the most part, the colored anodized layer looks like the metal is simply a different color. The luster and texture of the metal is almost the same as without the anodized layer. This is because some of the metal is still visible along with the color, but the distinctions between the metal and the color are so small that they cannot be seen with the naked eye.
A second form of anodizing gives the metal a unique look. This layer will reflect light differently than a regular metal, often leaving a satiny or refractive surface. After the metal has been dyed, it retains the effect but shows the new color. This too is an effect mimicked by anodized paint.
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