Corrosion is simply defined as the chemical attack of metals that results in det

erioration and
loss of material. A corrosive fluid is usually involved, with the most common be
ing water
containing reactive chemicals (such as chloride ions).
Corrosion of metal aircraft components can range in severity from superficial di
scoloration to
severe pitting and cracking that can cause sudden, catastrophic failure. Common
examples of
corrosion damage to aircraft include corrosion thinning at fastened joints owing
to water
intrusion; pitting of exterior skins; stress-corrosion cracking at drilled holes
, cut-outs and
other geometric stress raisers; and corrosion of fuel tanks.
The type of corrosion and the rate that corrosion takes place is determined by m
any factors.
Important factors include the:
1. Composition, metallurgical properties and heat treatment of the metal alloy;
2. Type of surface films and protective systems on the metal;
3. Presence of stresses, voids and other defects in the metal;
4. Composition and concentration of the corrosive liquid or gas; and
5. Temperature and humidity of the environment
Three conditions must exist simultaneously for corrosion to occur:
1. Two dissimilar materials or two regions of different electromotive potential
within a
metal in order to form the anode and cathode.
2. A conductor (usually a metal) between the anode and cathode.
3. An electrolyte such as water
Types of corrosion
There is no single type of corrosion that occurs in aircraft. Instead, corrosion
can take many
forms, including:
1. general (or uniform) surface corrosion,
2. galvanic (or two-material) corrosion,
3. pitting corrosion,
4. crevice corrosion,
5. intergranular corrosion,
6. fretting corrosion,
7. exfoliation corrosion, and
8. Stress corrosion
General surface corrosion
General (also called uniform) surface corrosion is the most common type of corro
sion. It
involves an electrochemical reaction that proceeds uniformly over the entire exp
osed surface
of the metal, as illustrated in Fig.3. General corrosion is responsible for the
greatest
destruction of metal on a tonnage basis, although it is not usually a serious co
rrosion problem
for aircraft owing to the surface protection measures. General corrosion of meta
ls used in the
airframe only occurs when the surface protection is damaged or incorrectly appli
ed. When it
does occur, general corrosion occurs at the surface and is detected during maint
enance
inspection by the presence of grey or white powdery deposits. These deposits are
the residual
solid by-product of the corrosion process, such as the electrochemical degradati
on of
aluminium:

Al
Al3++ 3e
to form metal cations (Al3+ ) that react with oxygen in the atmosphere to form a
luminium
oxide powder:
4Al3+ +3O2
2Al2O3
Pitting corrosion
Pitting is one of the most destructive and insidious types of corrosion. Without
appropriate
protection, metals such as aluminium, steel and magnesium used in aircraft are s
usceptible to
pitting corrosion, which is a form of extremely localised attack that results in
small holes, as
shown in Figure. Pitting can start at precipitates at the surface of certain all
oys when the
particle has a different electrochemical potential from the surrounding metal ma
trix. Pitting
can also occur in surface regions where the corrosion protective layer is absent
. When surface
protection is used small gaps in the layer can occur because of incorrect applic
ation or inservice
damage by abrasion, erosion or some other event. The corrosion forms as a hole a
t the
gap in the protective layer, which then develops into a wider cavity below the s
urface
Crevice corrosion
Crevice corrosion (also called concentration cell corrosion) is the most common
type of
corrosion damage found on many older aircraft which have not been adequately mai
ntained.
It usually occurs in crevices under fastener heads, under loose paint, within de
laminated
bonded joints, or in unsealed joints. It is an aggressive form of corrosion that
occurs locally
inside crevices and other shielded areas of metals exposed to corrosive fluid. T
he process of
crevice corrosion is shown schematically in Fig.5. Crevice corrosion occurs in s
hielded
regions where a small volume of stagnant corrosive fluid is trapped between two
surfaces,
such as under loose paint, within a delaminated bond-line or in an unsealed join
t.
Intergranular corrosion
Intergranular corrosion involves the localised attack of the grain boundaries in
a metal. The
intergranular corrosion process is shown in Fig. 6. Corrosion damage occurs alon
g the grain
boundaries whereas the core of the grains is unaffected. Intergranular corrosion
occurs
because the electrochemical potential of the grain boundary is different from th
e grain core
and, therefore, the grain boundary and grain core form, respectively, the anode
and cathode of
a tiny galvanic cell.
Fretting corrosion
Fretting corrosion, which is also called friction oxidation or wear oxidation, i
nvolves the
deterioration of contacting metals subjected to vibration or slip. The fretting
(or rubbing)
action results in fine particle fragments being abraded from one or both materia
ls. These

fragments oxidise into hard, abrasive particles which wear and destroy the metal
surface. For
example, the fretting of aluminium produces aluminium oxide (Al2O3) particles th
at are many
times harder than the metal surface. The process is considered corrosive because
the metal
particles must oxidise, which is a form of dry corrosion.