Method for preparing pre-coated aluminum alloy articles and articles prepared thereby

An aluminum-alloy aircraft article prepared according to the method comprising the steps of:

• providing an aluminum-alloy aircraft article precursor that is not in its final heat-treated state;
• anodizing the article precursor;
• providing a curable phenolic resin-containing organic coating material, the coating material having a non-volatile portion that is predominantly organic and is curable at about a heat-treatment temperature of the aluminum-alloy aircraft article precursor;
• applying the phenolic resin-containing organic coating material to the aluminum-alloy aircraft article precursor;
• heat-treating the phenolic resin-containing coated aluminum-alloy aircraft article precursor to its final heat-treated state at the heat-treatment temperature and for a time sufficient to heat-treat the aluminum and cure the organic coating;
• and
• obtaining a coated aluminum-alloy aircraft article having a shear strength approximately equal to or greater than the shear strength of an aircraft aluminum-alloy selected from the group consisting of series 2000, 4000, 5000, 6000 and 7000 series aircraft aluminum-alloys.