SEPTEMBER 20228MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY INSIGHTSIN MY OPINIONThe continuous conflict with corrosion within the aerospace industry needs to be managed across the whole supply chain to ensure aircraft can fly for as long as possible and as safely as possible. But that's just the start of the battle. Corrosion and wear are extremely significant factors within the aerospace industry, not only because aircraft protective requirements are incredibly high, but corrosion is expensive and costs the industry a staggering $2 trillion per year. Alongside this, it's now faced with increasing legislative demands and sustainability requirements that need to be met.More than 1,700 substances are under regulatory control in the aerospace industry, including surface treatments and materials such as paints, sealants and fire protection because they are carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction.Many of the corrosion inhibiting products in use contain hexavalent chromium (Cr6+) for example chemical conversion coatings and primers. European and UK REACH legislation already restricts the use of hexavalent chromium containing substances to aerospace due to its carcinogenicity. The authorisation for this use is set to expire in 2024, beyond which their use in the UK and EU could be prohibited. The tight regulation of these compounds means that suitable alternatives must be investigated and implemented to ensure that product performance is maintained with respect to corrosion performance.So, what can be done?A number of attempts have been made to introduce Cr6+ free materials and processes, however, the solutions have been found not to be as robust as expected, due in part, to the lack of validated and accelerated testing methods, resulting in unexpected failures.These regulations could be seen as a barrier to market, however, By Patrick Wood, SVP Space Systems UK & Head of Space Systems Production, Airbus Defence and SpaceAEROSPACE'S CONFLICT WITH CORROSION AND CHROMATES Patrick Wood
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