Purpose:

This project will demonstrate and validate the performance of alternative aluminum pretreatments that do not contain chromates on Department of Defense (DoD), NASA, and private industry platforms. Chromate-based aluminum pretreatments are heavily used throughout the DoD and aerospace communities to provide corrosion protection and an adhesive base for organic coatings. These chromate pretreatments contain hexavalent chromium, a toxic and suspected cancer-causing compound. Qualifying the life-cycle impact of alternative pretreatments on a variety of aluminum substrates using representative coating systems will assist metal finishing facilities in complying with current and anticipated environmental laws, executive orders, and occupational health and safety protocols while maintaining coating system performance.

Description:

Candidate alternatives will be nominated based on previous research and development efforts conducted by participants. Pretreatment performance will be initially evaluated using representative substrates and coating systems and standard accelerated laboratory tests. Acceptable candidates will then be demonstrated in the field at various depots and manufacturing sites. In addition, life cycle cost analyses will be performed on each alternative. Toxicological, environmental, and occupational health and safety issues will also be quantified. The existing military specification for chromate conversion coatings will be revised to account for alternatives.

Benefits:

Alternative aluminum pretreatments have the potential to eliminate chromate-based aluminum pretreatments in many applications, directly mitigating environmental and occupational risks associated with the continued use of hexavalent chromium. However, the functional performance requirements of pretreaments need to be maintained while providing environmental benefits to lower total ownership costs. Assuming acceptable technical performance, preliminary analyses of five facilities show payback periods of immediate to 3 years and internal rates of return of 28 percent to 7600 percent, depending on the facility surveyed. Iterative cost-benefit analyses will be completed as the project moves forward from demonstration through implementation. (Anticipated Project Completion - 2006)

Contact:

Mr. Craig Matzdorf
NAVAIR Materials Division/NAWCAD
Code 4.3.4.1, Building 2188
48066 Shaw Road
Patuxent River, MD 20670-5304
Telephone: (301) 342-9372
Fax: (301) 342-8062
E-mail: craig.matzdorf@navy.mil