Self-Activate Corrosion Inhibitor

The current inventory of Department of Defense shelters and ancillary equipment relies on metallic structures as well as aluminum/foam and beam panels that are extremely susceptible to corrosion. The primary reason for field and depot level repairs of military equipment is corrosion. Metallic weapon systems and their components require extensive corrosion protection to extend service life and prevent operational failures. Current practices consist of polyurethane primers and topcoats for corrosion protection of metallic surfaces and structural members. These maintenance processes require significant resources (approximately 800 million dollars per year) for corrosion treatment applications and the related Haz-Mat disposal processes. Internal corrosion is especially harmful due to the absence of non-destructive methods for detection, prevention, removal or treatment. In order to mitigate the problem of internal corrosion, and reduce the associated costs that accompany it, an inhibitor that self-activates when exposed to moisture and effectively prevents the sustaining of corrosive conditions is a very effective option. In order to minimize the cost impact of such a system as well as reduce overall life-cycle costs, efficient integration and design into current manufacturing processes will be essential.