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Innovative Approaches to the Development of Corrosion Resistant Aircraft Alloys
Navy STTR FY2008A - Topic N08-T010 Opens: February 19, 2008 - Closes: March 19, 2008 6:00am EST N08-T010 TITLE: Innovative Approaches to the Development of Corrosion Resistant Aircraft Alloys TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Air Platform, Materials/Processes ACQUISITION PROGRAM: Joint Strike Fighter and PMA-275 OBJECTIVE: Develop analytical methodologies to promote the modeling and design of corrosion resistant alloys. DESCRIPTION: The selection and engineering of materials for Navy and Marine Corps aircraft is driven by the unique maritime operational requirements and harsh corrosive environment in which the aircraft operate. These carrier-based aircraft operate in the most severe natural corrosive environment on the planet. The overall cost of corrosion for the Department of Defense is between ten and twenty billion dollars per year, with an estimated cost of 4.4 billion dollars to the Navy alone. Within the Navy, the effects of corrosion on Naval aviation are overwhelming. Over 100 million work hours and nearly a billion dollars were spent by NAVAIR from 1994 to 2004 on corrosion related problems. In addition to financial impacts, corrosion also affects safety and military capability. As our aircraft and weapon system alloys degrade, the operational readiness and number of aircraft available for tasking diminish, coupled with drastic increases in maintenance costs. Previous efforts have addressed materials protection and maintenance. Advanced paints, sealants, and corrosion prevention compounds have been employed in order to mitigate the effects of corrosion; however, they do not address the root cause: it�s the alloy that corrodes. With ongoing materials by design research efforts, alloy design methodologies are now possible. To ensure a fully capable fleet there is a need to develop highly corrosion resistant aircraft alloys. PHASE I: Develop a methodology to enable the multi-scale computational modeling and simulation of aircraft alloys for the purpose of designing corrosion resistant materials. Demonstrate feasibility of the approach by providing a mechanistic understanding of the fundamental physical and chemical interactions of the alloy and its environment. PHASE II: Fully develop the methodology into a prototype analysis tool. Design a corrosion resistant alloy for a representative aircraft component. Produce a sufficient quantity of the material and perform testing to verify the expected performance. Develop a test plan to fully qualify the new alloy. PHASE III: Perform the required testing to develop the material allowables database required for transition into a military platform. Transition the technology for the development of corrosion resistant materials to other applications. PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: The developed technology will enable the design of exploratory alloy systems that are compatible with scaleable manufacturing process. This will provide transition opportunities for these alloys to both commercial as well as military aircraft and other applications requiring corrosion resistance. REFERENCES: 2. The shipboard exposure testing of aircraft materials, E. Tankins, J. Kozol and E. W. Lee, JOM, Sep. 1995, P40. 3. November 8-9 2006, NAVAIR conducted government-industry workshop on the development of corrosion resistant alloys. KEYWORDS: Corrosion; Mechanical Properties; Alloy Modeling; Microstructure; Corrosion Modeling; Navy Environment TPOC: (301)342-8071
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