Improved Anti-Corrosion Coatings for Undersea Cable Connectors

Austin (TRI/Austin) first developed non-conductive coatings (NCC) for marine connector applications in the mid 1990s. These coatings are applied by a plasma spray process, and the patented technology has reduced the cost of ownership for the U.S. Navy by reducing down time of submarines for replacement of failed connectors from cathodic or corrosion related mechanisms. In spite of the outstanding performance of the original Bond-Coat system, the application is limited to flat or cylindrical surface geometries due to the need for uniform coating thickness. Numerous nonsymmetrical outboard connector types are currently used in Navy Submarines that cannot be coated using the current technology. The Phase I effort demonstrated a second generation NCC system that will permit application to complex surface geometries. The technology developed is capable of coating, with uniform thickness, surfaces with 90 degree angles. The process also enables coating of connector inside diameters. TRI/Austin is working with a major underwater connector manufacturer to transition the developed NCC materials which can be processed using conventional application equipment and procedures.