Development of Cad Plating Replacement with Zinc Nickel on High Strength Steel Components

The aerospace industry commonly uses cad-plated components in aircraft structures, engines, propellers and landing gear systems in both high and low strength steels. Components manufactured from these alloys require sacrificial protective coatings due to their corrosive environments. Cadmium has traditionally been the coating of choice for threaded components and fasteners due to its many desirable functional qualities. However, cadmium is a toxic metal and a known carcinogen that poses serious environmental and occupational safety and health risks not only during the plating process, but throughout the life cycle of the plated parts. ES3 has successfully completed the Phase I, II, and II.5 efforts meeting its primary goal of demonstrating that IZ-C17+ with trivalent conversion coating IZ-264 performs as well as or better than LHE Cad plate for US Air Force requirements per SBIR topics AF081-101 (threaded applications and fasteners) and AF071-320 (LHE Zn-Ni for Landing Gear general surfaces on High Strength Steel components). LHE alkaline Zn-Ni efforts for the US Air Force have moved into Phase III for general surfaces on Landing Gear components at Hill AFB, ongoing Phase III efforts for Low and High Strength Steel threaded fastener and components at Robins AFB and Wright Patterson AFB. The US Navy Phase II.5 transition plan will focus on the technology transition and integration plan for Fleet Readiness Center (FRC) implementation. This effort will include testing, processing and integration efforts in order to develop required technical and demonstration data for NAVAIR Certification and general authorization for HSS Aerospace components.