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Corrosion: Public enemy #1
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Activity 1
A possible conclusion from the statistics provided could be:
Accident causes attributed to aircraft structural failure or damage were low in relation to accidents attributed to other causes. No accidents were sustained by first generation aircraft however the earlier catastrophic accidents sustained by the Comet aircraft due to fatigue cracking are not included in the statistics.
The Aloha incident in 1988 was damage to a Boeing 737, and accounts for one of the two instances quoted for that generation of aircraft. Causes for this were similarly attributed to fatigue cracking.
Aircraft manufacturers, operators and engineers are aware of the dangers of corrosion and are able to design, build and maintain aircraft in a manner that minimises the danger of accidents attributable to structural failure.
Activity 2
Metals used in aircraft could include
| Metal | Used in | Possible contact | Corrosion reduction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magnesium alloy | Wheels and some structure | Other structural materials, steel bearings, fasteners, hydraulic tubing | Organic coating |
| Aluminium alloy | Most aircraft fuselage and wing structure | Organic coating, sealants | |
| Steel | Fasteners | All structure | Steel cadmium plated |
| Control cables | Plastic pulleys and fairleads | ||
| Uranium depleted | Balance weights | Organic coating | |
| Stainless steel | High temp areas around engines, air conditioning systems. High pressure hydraulic lines, control cables | Synthetic gaskets organic coating | |
| Lead | Balance weights | Structure | Organic coating |
| Copper | Electrical and instrument systems | All structure and other dissimilar metal components in electrical/instrument systems | Excluded from structure other than in bonding systems then joints organically coated after connection |
| woven into aircraft carpet | Structure | Wooden or synthetic floor panels | |
| Brass | Instruments | All structure and other dissimilar metal components in electrical/instrument systems | Teflon jointing compounds |
| Titanium | Structural and engine components | Surrounding structure | Sealant and organic compounds |
| Silver | Electrical and instrument systems | Used in contacts | Oxygen excluding jointing compounds |
| Gold | |||
| Graphite | Carbon fibre structural components | All Structure | Organic coating |
| Steel | Undercarriage components | Supporting structure | Oxygen and moisture excluding sealants on joints |
Activity 3
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