Building Block

Approach to
Simulated Structural
Corrosion Testing

29 November 2012

Steven R. Thompson
AFRL/RXS
Systems Support Division
Integrity  Service  Excellence Air Force Research Laboratory

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 Co-Authors
Mike Spicer (AFRL/RXSS)
Ed Hermes (AFRL/RXS)
Chad Hunter (AFRL/RXSC)
Kumar Jata (AFRL/RXCM)
Nick Jacobs (UDRI)

Acknowledgements
Larry Perkins (AFRL/RXS)
Larry Butkus (AFRL/RXSA)
Rick Reams (AFLCMC/EZFS)
Howard Garcia (AFLCMC/EZFS)
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 Corrosion Gaps
Science & Technology
• DoD Corrosion Gap Analysis Meeting
– Gaps Identified by Chuck Babish (AFLCMC/EZ)
• Ability to translate top-level service life (hours and years in
service) and sustainment requirements into selection of
materials, finish systems, etc. that withstands competing
pressures during design
• Well defined and agreed-to accelerated test methods and
accept/reject criteria for corrosion evaluation for a range of
environments and service life requirements
• DoD-wide evaluation & recommendation/approval for cross-
cutting material substitutions, process changes, such as:
– Material substitutions: chromated primer, chromic acid anodize,
chrome plating, cadmium plating
– Process changes: paint removal (chemical, plastic media, laser,
etc.)

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 Corrosion Gaps
Metrics

• DoD-level standards to decompose system level requirements

into measurable and verifiable corrosion metrics
• Knowledge and data to enable credible & convincing business
case and Life Cycle Cost (LCC) analyses for any trade studies
involving corrosion prevention & control such as:
– Pre-coated vs. wet-installed fasteners vs. both
– Pre-coated vs. faying surface and/or edge seals
– Whether or not to top-coat in corrosion-prone internal locations
– Changes to depot induction frequency
– Changes from field to depot-level corrosion inspection & repairs

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 Design & Material Qualification
Today
B117

UV (5 systems)
Old New (10 systems)

6 months – 1 3-6
coupons year gloss years
Spectral
Adhesion

• Most aspects of the systems are • Accelerated laboratory (2 systems) 3-10 years
usually included: testing in controlled
− Material type/heat treatment conditions:
− Anodize − Chemical resistance
− Clad − Strip-ability
− Cleaning − Environmental degradation
− Activation − Damage tolerance
− Thickness − Etc.
− Application technique • Outdoor Exposure testing
− Etc. used to address shortfalls of
laboratory testing
Flight test limited number
Simply picks best options for conditions tested. of aircraft
Cannot predict time to failure, estimate cost,
evaluate risk, etc.
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 Design & Material Qualification
Where We Want To Go
New Performance Specialty Repair/
Materials Coatings Maintenance
Cost
Life Regulations NDE Usage
Extension

Integrated
Corrosion
Damage Model Life Cycle
Design Trades
Management

Technology Needs

Integrated Computational
Materials Science &
Engineering (ICMSE)
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 Objective

Need: Test protocol to assess

corrosion effects on realistic structural
details in realistic environments.

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 The Plan
• Development of a new test methodology
– Specimen
• Generic structural component
– Skins, stiffeners, splice plates, fasteners, etc.
• Corrosion protection systems
– Primers, top coats, anodization, sealants, corrosion preventive compounds
(CPC’s), etc.
– Simulated Usage
• Fatigue loading
• Outdoor exposure environment
– Inspections
• Visual
• NDE (radiographic and ultrasonic)
• Some specimens to be completely disassembled for thorough
evaluation
• Goal: Demonstrate that the test specimen can produce similar
results to actual aircraft usage corrosion

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Specimen Design Initial Proof- Design of
Optimization of-Concept Experiments

Alloys Alloys
Loads
Modeling Fasteners Fasteners
-Fuselage
Pressurization Coating Systems Coating Systems
Hoop Stress
Loads Loads
ASTM B-117
Environments
Environment

Test Matrix Execution

Specimen
Fabrication

Loads
Application Estimated Test Durations
Proof of Concept:
Environmental ~ 12 weeks for full exposure
Exposure
Inspect every 3 weeks
Inspection
D.O.E:
~ 2 years for full exposure
Repeat? Inspect every quarter

Tech Document
Report JTP
Results
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 Test Specimen Design

Skins

Stiffener

Fasteners
Splice Plate

• Other specimen configurations are possible!

• Potential for a “library” of generic configurations.
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 Test Specimen Design

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 Test Matrix Development

• Initial proof-of-concept
– Fixed set of materials/fasteners/protection
schemes
– Intent is to ensure we can produce “failures”
– Will utilize ASTM B117 chamber for accelerated
testing, rather than outdoor exposure
– Useful for establishing an inspection procedure

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 Test Matrix Development

• Design of Experiments
– Skin alloys
– Stiffener alloys
– Splice plate alloys
– Fastener type
– Fastener alloy
– Corrosion protection scheme
– Loads
– Environments
– Maintenance Procedures

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 Test Matrix Development

• Design of Experiments 2XXX Aluminum

7XXX Aluminum
– Skin alloys
– Stiffener alloys Single Side Clad
Double Side Clad
– Splice plate alloys Unclad
– Fastener type
– Fastener alloy
– Corrosion protection scheme
– Loads
– Environments
– Maintenance Procedures

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 Test Matrix Development

• Design of Experiments
– Skin alloys 2XXX Aluminum
7XXX Aluminum
– Stiffener alloys
Composite
– Splice plate alloys Fiber Metal Laminate
– Fastener type
– Fastener alloy
– Corrosion protection scheme
– Loads
– Environments
– Maintenance Procedures

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 Test Matrix Development

• Design of Experiments
– Skin alloys
2XXX Aluminum
– Stiffener alloys 7XXX Aluminum
– Splice plate alloys Steel
Titanium
– Fastener type Composite
Fiber Metal Laminate
– Fastener alloy
– Corrosion protection scheme
– Loads
– Environments
– Maintenance Procedures

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 Test Matrix Development

• Design of Experiments
– Skin alloys
– Stiffener alloys
– Splice plate alloys Neat Fit
Interference Fit
– Fastener type Cold-worked Hole
Wet install
– Fastener alloy Dry install
– Corrosion protection scheme
– Loads
– Environments
– Maintenance Procedures

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 Test Matrix Development

• Design of Experiments
– Skin alloys
– Stiffener alloys
– Splice plate alloys
– Fastener type
Aluminum
– Fastener alloy Steel
Titanium
– Corrosion protection scheme
– Loads
– Environments
– Maintenance Procedures

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 Test Matrix Development

• Design of Experiments
– Skin alloys
– Stiffener alloys
– Splice plate alloys
– Fastener type
– Fastener alloy Anodization
Primer Coat
– Corrosion protection scheme Top Coat
Sealants
– Loads CPC’s
– Environments
– Maintenance Procedures

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 Test Matrix Development

• Design of Experiments
– Skin alloys
– Stiffener alloys
– Splice plate alloys
– Fastener type
– Fastener alloy
Constant Amplitude
– Corrosion protection scheme Spectrum
– Loads Axial
– Environments Flexural (bending)
Torsional
– Maintenance Procedures

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 Test Matrix Development

• Design of Experiments
– Skin alloys
– Stiffener alloys
– Splice plate alloys
– Fastener type
– Fastener alloy
– Corrosion protection scheme
– Loads Location of Outdoor Exposure
– Environments Covered
Exposed
– Maintenance Procedures

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 Test Matrix Development

• Design of Experiments
– Skin alloys
– Stiffener alloys
– Splice plate alloys
– Fastener type
– Fastener alloy
– Corrosion protection scheme
– Loads
– Environments
Cleaning processes
– Maintenance Procedures Depainting

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 Test Matrix Development

• Design of Experiments
– Skin alloys
– Stiffener alloys
Goal is to create a test
– Splice plate alloys matrix that can capture
– Fastener type sufficient elements of the
variables at left in order to
– Fastener alloy make a reasonable
– Corrosion protection scheme assessment of the
potential for corrosion.
– Loads
– Environments
– Maintenance Procedures

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 Process Steps

• Construct specimen using typical structures

fabrication methodologies
– Includes coating systems and sealants
• Fatigue specimens
– One “control” specimen per group will not be cycled
• Expose specimens to environment
– One fatigued specimen per group will not be exposed
• After exposure duration time has been reached,
bring back to lab for inspection
– One specimen in group will be disassembled
• After inspection/documentation of results, repeat
fatigue, exposure, and inspection steps
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 Future Efforts

• If program is successful:
– Test protocol available for use across industry
– Additional test coupon designs can be created for
specific purposes
– Results of the program will be available for
verification/validation of predictive modeling tools
that are in development
– Methodology will be available for
verification/validation of accelerated testing
methods that are in development

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 Summary

• Program success = demonstrating that the

test specimen can produce similar results to
actual aircraft usage corrosion
• Use of outdoor exposure is most relevant
environment at this point
– Parallel in-house programs are looking at ways to
better simulate outdoor exposure
• Quantity of specimens to be tested is TBD
– Program is scheduled for 3 years initially

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 Questions?

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