by Kimberly Andrews
AFRL, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate

Accomplishment: Members of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) Air Force Corrosion Prevention and Control Office (AFCPCO) recently teamed with Warner Robins Air Logistics Center (WR-ALC) to assess the environmental effects of extended operations in the southwest Asia area of responsibility (SWA-AOR). The SWA-AOR area comprises 27 countries, including Iraq and Afghanistan . The ongoing assessment includes observation of the effects of sand and dust intrusion on Air Force weapons systems and sensitive support equipment, analysis of sands from various locations, and a comparison of corrosion prevention and control policies and inspection requirements from pre-war to present-day operations. As the assessment progresses, team members are providing progressive and alternative approaches to corrosion prevention and control, wet and dry cleaning, and aircraft maintenance in rigorous environmental conditions.

Payoff: The AFCPCO, a field office of AFRL’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate that is located at Robins AFB, Georgia, will use the results of its assessment to ensure that the Air Force has the best available materials and cost-effective methods to improve the protection of systems and materials from corrosion while maintaining environmental compliance. The AFCPCO has a legacy of anticipating, managing, and resolving corrosion problems; developing and evaluating new repair, maintenance and corrosion suppression technologies and techniques; and reducing the environmental severity, cost, and impact of corrosion prevention. Its field-level support efforts will improve the readiness, cost and structural integrity of Air Force systems critical to missions the United States is undertaking in a variety of locations in southwest Asia .

Background: The conflicts in the SWA-AOR have presented the Air Force with unique aircraft structure, system and subsystem corrosion and degradation challenges. Corrosion typically occurs when materials react adversely to each other, corrosive liquids, or the environment through exposure to moisture, salt, sand, and extreme temperatures. Problems caused by corrosion are compounded by an aging aircraft fleet, whereby aircraft are regularly pushed far beyond their originally intended service life. Corrosion concerns also extend beyond aircraft to include ground support equipment, vehicles, munitions, and mobile communication/electronic equipment.

Air Force equipment in the SWA-AOR has been extensively exposed to the unique desert environment since the days of Desert Shield/Desert Storm in August 1990. Extended desert operations have resulted in the intrusion of very fine sand and dust into aircraft, weapons systems and support equipment to an extent not previously experienced by modern Air Force equipment. The abrasive properties of the sand and dust have caused premature parts replacement due to wear. Additionally, random sampling of contamination found in deployed equipment has shown high levels of corrosive anions. In such situations, the corrosion rate for a wide variety of materials can be accelerated.

Accelerated operations tempos and a lack of clean rinse water or suitable infrastructure to support an effective corrosion prevention and control program have also had a negative impact on equipment in the AOR. A variety of environmental effects are being evaluated during the SWA assessment. The team will analyze the following: corrosion, erosion, and dust intrusion; corrosion prevention and control policies; inspection requirements and field depot workloads; corrosion prevention compounds (CPCs); the effectiveness and frequency of wash cycles; and cleaning methods. Realizing that an aggressive corrosion prevention and control program at the “home station” could mitigate some of the corrosion impact, the AFCPCO/WR-ALC team also assessed and recommended improvements to the procedures.

The unique circumstances AFCPCO experts observed in the SWA-AOR require modification of the current technical orders (TOs) to improve corrosion and erosion prevention efforts in desert environments. The AFCPCO is currently responsible for the engineering of five Air Force-wide corrosion control TOs in the areas of application and removal of organic coatings; desert storage preservation of aircraft and engines; avionics cleaning and corrosion control; aircraft cleaning and corrosion control; and engine parts cleaning and corrosion control.

To date, AFCPCEO has provided units in the SWA-AOR with effective sealants, sealing tapes, electrical protection, and gel-type gasket materials. All of these on-the-spot recommendations have provided solutions to critical equipment operation challenges and have already proven their effectiveness in the desert environment.

Directed and tasked by Air Staff, AFCPCO provides a single Air Force point of contact for all system and component corrosion issues. The office develops effective programs to prevent, detect, and control corrosion, minimizing the impact of corrosion on the Air Force’s combat capability. It provides guidance and conducts evaluation and technology transition for Air Force field units, major commands, system managers and maintainers, Air Logistics Centers, and the AFRL. It also works cooperatively with counterparts in other services, including the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, as well as the Air National Guard, NASA, Federal Aviation Administration, and academia.