Sealing anodized aluminum after engrave?

I did a search but didn’t come up with anything about this. My brother is interested in having me engrave his new MacBook pro. We would both like to know if exposing the metal underneath the anodization will expose the aluminum to corrosion or any other adverse stuff. Does anyone ever seal it in some way after engraving? His laptop is brand new and we don’t want to sacrifice it…just beautify it.

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For most indoor/mild climate consumer use, anodization is primarily cosmetic, so you shouldn’t have to worry. But if you’re near a coast (salt water), it may be exacerbated. And just wipe it down occassionally to remove any residue from your hands (sweat is salty) or other grime that builds up and may stick more easy in the etched areas.

And any significant (noticeable) oxidation that may occur will likely be after the useful life of the MacBook…

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Thank you!

From my understanding, you aren’t removing the anodization with the laser, you are only removing the dye. The anodization layer is there to prevent further oxidization. As long as the anodization layer is not broken or damaged the raw aluminum will not be affected. Even in a salt fog environment the aluminum case of the laptop should not be affected at a rate more than the internals - you will see more detrimental buildup etc. on the internals than you will on the surface, even after you remove the anodize dye.

https://www.ulsinc.com/materials/anodized-aluminum

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Thank you so much. Very helpful information.

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