Corrosion Resistant Naval Alloys: Innovative Multi-Scale Computational Modeling and Simulation Tools

The overall objective of the proposed effort is to build a methodology and the associated multi-scale computational tools that enable the development of corrosion resistant alloys for use in Naval aircraft. This will be achieved by adding corrosion damage prediction capabilities to VEXTEC’s existing damage models which simulate material fatigue and predict failure. The goal is a framework that accounts for both corrosion damage and fatigue damage and produces a comprehensive assessment of alloy performance in an operational environment. This will be accomplished through the use of finite element analysis combined with probabilistic microstructure-based fatigue modeling. The tool will be developed in Phase I for aluminum alloy 7075-T651, a common material used in aircraft structures. The tool will be used to predict the mechanical and corrosion properties of the alloy based on material properties, microstructure, and processing history. These predictions will be compared with experimental data acquired from open literature regarding the testing of this alloy. The successful comparison of predictions with experimental data will be used to demonstrate conceptual design feasibility of the corrosion fatigue prediction tool.