Development of Corrosion Test to Predict or Rank Corrosion Performance of Current and Novel Corrosion Inhibiting Sealants, Both Conductive and Non-Con

Sealants are critical aerospace materials that require well-defined performance and lifetime characteristics. They perform multiple functions on aircraft but one of the more important functions is for prevention of corrosion. Some sealant application areas are expected to last the lifetime of the aircraft after application. The qualification test methods currently used to determine corrosion protection provided by a sealant do not accurately predict the lifetimes of sealant products and no corrosion test for conductive sealants has been shown to correlate well with field performance. In fact, the current qualification tests age test specimens for the equivalent of less than one year of service based on the acceleration factors for humidity and temperature. TRI/Austin, Inc. and UDRI developed a new corrosion test protocol during Phase I that will be optimized during Phase II. This new protocol will enable determinations of corrosion resistance imparted by sealants over an equivalent aging period of 20 years accomplished with lab exposures of only two months. New test specimens have also been developed that provide a more rapid and more sensitive measure of the corrosion protection provided by sealants and conductive gap-fillers.