Fieldable Probe for Quantitative Assessment of Degree of Sensitization in Marine Aluminum Alloys

Current methodology for testing the degree of sensitization (DoS) in 5XXX aluminum alloys is destructive and not practical for inspecting boats and material in service. A nondestructive inspection (NDI) method is required as a single fieldable probe for this and associated requirements. Proto evaluated a combination of x-ray diffraction (XRD), ultra-sonics and eddy current technologies and concluded that such a probe would be unnecessarily too complex. Proto found that XRD alone offers the highest potential to solve this difficult problem. The Team has measured several AA5083 specimens confirming our premise that distinctive XRD phase shifts are detectable and measureable for various tempers—a strong indicator of technical feasibility. The Proto Team proposes to conduct a thorough test and analysis program of AA5383 in three tempers, coincident with the quantitative measurement of numerous XRD parameters and the application of several analytic and correlation methods. The Team will demonstrate the feasibility of XRD on AA 5383 alloy to meet the stated requirements and define a realistic plan for Phase II system development and demonstration. Proto develops portable nondestructive XRD systems tailored to customer requirements and proposes to deliver an effective NDI system for measuring DoS onboard ships, in shipyards and factories.