Marine Grade Aluminum Plate (Navy)
Abstract
Marine Grade Aluminum Plate evaluates an engineered aluminum plate with superior corrosion resistance for use as a repair and replacement material for a ship’s superstructure. A unique manufacturing technique produces a multi-layered material that is rolled into sheet having a marine grade aluminum core with a corrosion resistant outer layer. A particular concern is an aluminum alloy’s susceptibility to sensitization, a micro-structural phenomenon that increases corrosion susceptibility, and provides an environment for stress corrosion cracking. The primary output of this project is superior aluminum with multi-layered material that is corrosion resistant in a marine environment. This will provide increased survivability, sustainability, and operational readiness compared to current decking and bulkhead plate. Estimations for CG repair and replacement costs due to sensitization and cracking of aluminum plate is between $1.000 million and $2.000 million per repair cycle. Extrapolating this cost across the fleet over the first repair cycle would translate to costs in excess of $22.000 million that would be saved using an aluminum plate material that is capable of meeting the service lifetime requirements of 35 years.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Accomplishment
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2013
- Source ID
- b627258ef6ca5e249f70cefa75da93ba