Surface conditioner for formed metal surfaces

A process comprising steps of:

• (a) cleaning the surface of an aluminum object having the shape and size intended for final use, by contacting the surface for an effective time with an aqueous based liquid cleaning composition having ingredients effective to produce a thoroughly degreased, clean surface substantially free from aluminum fines and other solid contamination;
• (b) (i) rinsing the surface cleaned as recited in step (a) with additional water and (ii) drying the rinsed surface;
• and
• (c) conveying the object with a cleaned and dried surface produced as recited in steps (a) and (b) via high speed automatic conveying equipment,
• wherein the improvement comprises contacting the aluminum surface after cleaning and rinsing as recited in steps (a) and (b)(i) but before the drying recited in step (b)(ii), with a liquid composition comprising water and the following components:
• (A) a component of water soluble materials selected from the group conforming to general chemical formula I:
• ##STR3## wherein each of R.sup.1, R.sup.3, and R.sup.6 is independently selected from hydrogen and alkyl groups containing 1-about 4 carbon atoms each of x, y, and z is an integer and is independently selected within the range from 0-about 25;
• and each of R.sup.2, R.sup.4, and R.sup.5 is independently selected from hydrogen, monovalent cations, monovalent fractions of polyvalent cations, alkyl groups containing 1-about 20 carbon atoms, and aryl and arylalkyl groups containing 1-about 20 carbon atoms, except that at least one of R.sup.2, R.sup.4, and R.sup.5 (i) is not hydrogen and (ii) has at least one alkoxyl group bonded between it and the phosphorous atom in formula I;
• (B) a component selected from the group of water soluble salts containing ions that comprise atoms selected from the group consisting of Fe, Zr, Sn, Al, and Ce;
• and
• (C) a water soluble metal etching component;
• and, optionally,
• (D) a water soluble component selected from chelating agents for the metal containing ions of component (B) and
• (E) a water soluble component selected from molecules conforming to general formula II:
• ##STR4## wherein R.sup.7 is a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon moiety and R.sup.1 and x have the same meaning as for formula I,
• the contacting of the aluminum surface with the recited composition being at an effective temperature for a sufficient time to cause the coefficient of static surface friction of the aluminum object with the surface so treated to be less than 1.5.