Chromate-Free Fuel Tank Coating

ABSTRACT:Current aircraft fuel tank coatings provide excellent corrosion protection but do so by incorporating chromates.Unfortunately, these hexavalent chromates are carcinogens, and their use and disposal is strictly regulated.An ideal aircraft fuel tank coating would provide effective corrosion protection without the use of chromates.In this SBIR project TDA will develop a chromate free, room temperature curing fuel tank coating using novel corrosion inhibitor additives.TDA has developed a new class of corrosion inhibiting materials that can dramatically increase the corrosion protection performance. In the Phase I project we worked a major coating manufacturer to incorporate our corrosion inhibitors into a modified AMS-C-27725 fuel tank coating resin system.The Phase I feasibility study demonstrated that TDAs novel corrosion inhibitors provided effective corrosion protection in ASTM B117 salt fog studies without changing the physical properties of the original coating. In the Phase II we will optimize the coating and inhibitor package to provide a coating whose protections equals that of the current system, but that contains no chromate and meets the requirement of the AMS-C-27725.BENEFIT:The chromate free polyurethane fuel tank coatings are applicable to commercial as well as military aircraft.Further, the non-chromated corrosion inhibitor additives developed in this project can be used in military and commercial primers and coatings wherever corrosion protection is required.They could be used for corrosion protection for metals employed in a wide range of applications, including automotive, aerospace, bridges and building.They will provide effective corrosion protection without the health and environmental hazards of hexavalent chromates.