Experimental Study on the Corrosion Rate Influence Caused by Seawater on Aircraft Structures

Abstract

Airplanes are a very fast and time efficient means of transportation. In Indonesia itself, because the country is an archipelago and has a tropical climate, rainwater and seawater are the main problems in the aviation world, this is evidenced by the corrosion that occurs in every aircraft maintenance. Factors that cause corrosion and corrosion rate are acidity, environmental conditions, and materials used. The material that is often used in aircraft is 2024 T-3 aluminum material which is strong, lightweight, and also resistant to corrosion, but because 2024 T-3 aluminum has several mixtures of other materials such as iron, copper, and copper,other materials, then aluminum can also be exposed to corrosion and corrosion rates. Corrosion and corrosion rate can be determined using the weight loss method which is used to measure the rate of corrosion that occurs, it is proven in 72 hours the material has experienced a corrosion rate of 0.002 mpy and the corrosion rate continues to increase every day, and to see the corrosion that occurs on the material used micro photos to see the type of corrosion. But the weight loss method is not very accurate because the weight loss that occurs from the material is the result of abrasion when sanded. In addition, seawater is the biggest influence on the corrosion rate problem when compared to rainwater.