Instrumented Test Coupons and Monitoring System for Improved Material Performance Evaluations

ABSTRACT: Luna will develop cost effective, extensible, and multimodal instrumentation for real time monitoring of materials subjected to accelerated corrosion tests. The sensor system will include continuous recording of environmental conditions of the corrosion tests for quality assurance; while establishing mechanistic correlations between environmental conditions and material response. The corrosion test monitoring system will include test coupon designs for evaluating aircraft alloys and coating systems subjected to mechanical loading during accelerated and sevice environment testing. Luna will utilize low cost electrochemical transducers to continuously monitor the barrier properties and inhibitor effectiveness of coatings over the duration of a test. The system will be capable of detecting alloy loading and monitoring loss of residual strength due to localized corrosion processes in both laboratory and outdoor test environments. The monitoring system for accelerated corrosion testing will provide for improved material performance comparisons. The system will include the data acquisition and analysis software, network interface, and graphical user interface. BENEFIT: Accelerated laboratory and service environment exposure testing is performed as part of the development and qualification process for materials. The instrumented corrosion test coupons and monitoring system would improve the development and selection of alloys and coatings with enhanced corrosion resistance. Nearly all industrial coatings and structural materials are tested for environmental resistance before being used in aerospace, marine, automotive, white goods, and infrastructure applications. With ever increasing demands on product performance and the need to eliminate materials with environmental, health, and safety risks, there is a need for improved methods to evaluate materials for corrosion resistance in nearly every industry that utilizes coatings to protect structural materials. The instrumented coupons and monitoring system will have broad commercial application in the development of inhibitors, coatings, alloys, and composite materials, and in industry laboratories for qualification and selection of durable materials. The development and use of more durable products, enabled by this technology, will have long term economic benefits to both Military and commercial users.