Corrosion control on Australian Defence Force aircraft - Future challenges

As our aircraft fleets are operated beyond their original design life, more corrosion is likely to develop in airframes as protective coatings deteriorate, and the costs of dealing with corrosion are likely to increase. With the increasing demands for availability on the Australian Defence Force aircraft, due largely to overseas deployments, it will be necessary to reduce the incidence of corrosion and the time spent in maintenance due to corrosion. Over the past 20 years there have been significant advances in controlling and preventing corrosion in aircraft components. However, the continued development of new approaches to dealing with corrosion is required, and that presents challenges for corrosion and materials scientists and engineers. These challenges are the validation and transition into service of many technologies which could impact on maintenance costs and availability. This paper discusses some of these technologies which are part of a smarter approach to maintenance and some that are a result of environmental and legislative pressures.