Effectiveness of Thin Film Fluoropolymers as Protective Coatings in Marine Environments,

Topside weapon systems and their associated hardware are exposed to a harsh marine environment that often includes high temperatures, periodic seawater wetdown and exposure to exhaust gases. Hence, it is necessary to employ corrosion resistant materials and protective coating systems to ensure availability and reliability of the Weapon system. A recognized topside maintenance problem involves fretting corrosion associated with sliding parts. Wear surfaces are typically protected from corrosion by the application of lubricants. Although lubricants can be effective in controlling corrosion, they require frequent replacement to provide maximum protection. Candidate replacements for lubricants are a family of fluorocarbon impregnated thin film resins. The corrosion performance of several of these coatings as applied to aluminum, low alloy steel and stainless steel substrates is described herein. Test panels were exposed to a marine atmospheric environment and a marine atmospheric environment with periodic seawater wetdown. Companion specimen panels were also exposed to constant immersion in aerated seawater and characterized using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The findings of this research indicated that fluoropolymer coatings provided better long-term protection than solid-film lubricants. described herein. The findings of this research indicated that fluoropolymer coatings provided better long-term protection than solid-film lubricants.