Technologies at Luna Innovations

Corrosion Inhibiting Surface Treatments and Coatings

The direct cost of corrosion to the military is approximately $20 billion a year. The U.S. Air Force spends more than $1 billion per year on aircraft repairs and maintenance due to corrosion damage. A substantial portion of these costs are attributable to the corrosion and protection of the primary structural materials used for aircraft, high-performance ground vehicles and naval vessels. Luna is developing corrosion inhibitors, surface treatments and coatings to mitigate the effects and cost of corrosion.

Luna Innovations is working to improve the corrosion resistance of high-strength aluminum alloys by developing a unique surface conditioning product. The conditioner removes copper from the surface of aluminum alloys. Copper deposits are known to be initiation sites for corrosion and removing them improves the inherent corrosion resistance of the alloy. By working with the alloy only, Luna’s surface conditioner is compatible with major aerospace coating systems.

Luna is also developing primers and single-coat coating systems to prevent corrosion using environmentally acceptable corrosion inhibitors and low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Examples include:

• single-coat, non-skid system that would require significantly less application and drying time in comparison to standard two-coat systems, saving time and money during large applications as well as repairs.
• a high-performance, environmentally acceptable (chromate-free, low-VOC) conformal coating that meets the performance requirements for radar antenna systems.
• a low-VOC flexible aerospace primer to prevent cracking of coatings around fasteners and seams on large aircraft
• an anti-corrosion aerospace primer utilizing high-efficiency non-chrome corrosion inhibitors

Read more about Luna's work with corrosion systems:

• U.S. Army Aviation Selects GE/Luna Team for Integrated Corrosion Monitoring Solution

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