[1] Specifically, alonizing is the diffusion of aluminum into the surface of a base metal through high temperature vapors.
[3] This process results in an alloy with the surface properties of aluminum while retaining the base metal's inherent strength and rigidity.
At the elevated temperatures (typically greater than 300 °C, usually between 700 and 1100 °C) of the kiln, the aluminum is in its liquid phase and diffuses into the surface of the metal and forms an alloy with the substrate.
However, the alloys formed are extremely variable because they vary not only in the types of metals being alonized, but also in the amount of time spent alonizing and hence the time allotted for aluminum to diffuse into the surface (resulting in varying percentages of aluminum in the resulting alloys).
Though corrosion protection properties are gained, the chemicals and gases that typically corrode aluminum are not resisted.