Environmentally Sustainable Surface Preparation and Cleaning Processes for Aerospace and Structural Aluminum

Surface preparation and final coatings on aerospace materials are critical for performance and long-term functionality. Performance data for an environmentally sustainable surface cleaning and preparation process will be presented. Applications of the process for aerospace materials will be presented. Prior art has been complicated by the size and complexity of components and by the use of hazardous materials and/or expensive hand preparation methods. Reducing the cost of application, operator safety, and environmentally sustainable waste treatment are critical for process sustainability. The described surface pretreatment has successfully been applied to several aluminum alloys. The prepared surfaces exhibit stable surface cleaning, de-oxidation, surface appearance and stability of substrate chemical composition. A variety of surface coatings (including Anodize and Alodine^® 1200S) have been applied with excellent adhesion and corrosion properties. The cleaning solution is capable of multiple uses extending beyond 20 applications for aluminum containing materials. The process allows for spray or immersion application, reduced processing/material costs, minimized or eliminated environmental impact, and versatility in topcoat application. These benefits and reduced or eliminated hands-on labor lower the cost associated with manufacturing of lightweight metallic and structural materials. In addition to the metal surface preparation processes, an example of a versatile aerospace coating will be described.