Research performed by IBC Materials and Technologies Inc. under an Air Force Small Business Innovation Research contract with the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate has resulted in a new coating that provides a 10-plus-fold improvement in corrosion and wear resistance on missile launchers.
Development of the plasma electrolytic oxidation nano-ceramic coating also is a 27 percent improvement in fatigue life over the current coatings. Additionally, the new coatings are a green technology, in contrast to the current coating scheme, which includes anodization, primer and a solid film lubricant. Anodizing has been the standard protective coating for aluminum and other light alloys.
The process uses chromic and sulfuric acid, which produces hazardous byproducts, such as sulfuric acid fumes and aluminum hydroxide, which require costly cleanup and remediation processes.
The newly developed PEO coating uses only water-based, low-concentration electrolytes that produce a significantly harder, denser and lower friction ceramic coating with high corrosion resistance.
With funding from the Air Force SBIR program, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center and Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, IBC’s PEO coatings have been qualified for the LAU-12X Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) missile launchers on F-15, F-16, F-18 and other aircraft platforms.
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