First coatings testing located at the Cape side launch pads during the Gemini Apollo Programs for long-term protective coatings for atmospheric protection of carbon steel

Curran, Jerome P.

NASA Technical Reports Server

The Vital Role of the Kennedy Space Center 
Beachside Atmospheric Corrosion Test 
Site in Selecting Corrosion Protection 
Coatings for Increased Sustainability
Jerome P. Curran
Corrosion Technology Laboratory
NASA, Kennedy Space Center
2014 INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON ENVIRONMENT AND ALTERNATIVE ENERGY 
"Increasing Space Mission Resiliency through Sustainability“ 
October 21-24, 2014 
Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20140017329 2019-08-31T14:44:26+00:00Z
Overview
• History of the Exposure Site
• Environmental Conditions
• Projects and Partnerships
History – Site Establishment
• 1966: First coatings testing located 
at the cape side launch pads during 
the Gemini/Apollo Programs for 
long-term protective coatings for 
atmospheric protection of carbon 
steel.
• 1969: Beach Corrosion Test Site 
established with more controlled 
and cost effective ways to conduct 
testing on coatings for carbon steel 
in seacoast launch environment. 
• 1981 – 1986: Coatings resistant 
to hydrochlroric acid from SRB’s for 
the Space Shuttle Launch Program. 
Saturn V
I am putting the original picture of the 
site here
History – 1st Expansion
• 1990’s: Environmentally 
friendlier coatings, zinc-rich 
primers and inorganic 
topcoats, silicone ablative 
coatings
• 1992: Numerous studies at 
the site required an expansion 
to 600 feet parallel to the 
Atlantic Ocean
• Identified materials, coatings, 
and maintenance procedures 
for launch hardware and 
equipment exposed to the 
highly corrosive environment 
at the launch pad
• Results have helped KSC find 
new materials and processes 
that increase the safety and 
reliability of launch structures 
and ground support 
equipment
Original site
1st expansion
History: Upgrades
Seawater 
submersion:
•Simulates natural tidal 
conditions
•Oxygen concentration 
monitored
Alternating Seawater 
Spray Test:
•Sprays seawater 
pumped from the ocean
•Frequency 
programmable
Concrete:
•Test rebar in concrete
•Electrically connected
Upgrades:
•Weather station
•New permanent building with laboratory 
and machine shop
•Remote camera system
•New testing capabilities
• Site expansion as a result of current demand for additional corrosion testing 
from NASA and external customers
• 900 total feet of exposure space parallel to the Atlantic Ocean
• 200 feet from the mean high tide line
• Accommodates specialty components
History: 2nd Expansion 
Tortoise Protection: 
• One successfully relocated 
2nd Expansion: Environmental Considerations
Reuse Materials: 
•Reused recycled fines from the Crawlerway 
rock for the fill and surface of the new 
section and new driveways
Safety: 
•Installed a 6-foot wide sidewalk that spans 
the entire 900 feet to better secure the racks 
and stands
•Created a more secure environment for 
worker safety and stability
Recycled 
fines
Concrete 
walkway
KSC Corrosive Environment
SO2
Atmospheric Test Site 
and Cl- deposition
wave 
height
• Natural Environment
• Ocean salt spray
• Heat
• Humidity
• Sunlight
• In addition, when launching:
• Acidic exhaust from Solid 
Rocket Boosters
• Creates a 70 ton 0.1M HCl
vapor cloud during heavy lift 
vehicle launch
• Atmospheric exposure is time 
consuming, but  the gold standard 
in lifetime prediction.  
• Thus far, no accelerated test 
method can satisfactorily correlate 
to atmospheric exposure.
Monitoring Natural Conditions 
• Temperature
– Ambient
– Panel-specific
• Relative humidity
• Precipitation
• Chloride deposition
• Sulfur deposition
– NADP FL99
– 1-2 mg/m2-d (very low)
• Wave height
– NOAA buoy #41009
– Average over 10 years
Monitoring Natural Conditions 
• Corrosion Rate
– Weight loss with carbon steel coupons
– Ranges from 0.127 – 0.51mm/y
– Rates vary seasonally and as a function of chloride/precipitation
Collaborations and Partnerships
• Wide range of organizations
– Government
– Military
– International
– Industry
– University
– Consortium
• Wide range of focus
– Environmental
– Aerospace
– Aviation
– Energy
– Coatings
– Metals
– Ceramics
– Polymers
– Composites
– Transportation
Collaborations and Partnerships
• US Government
– DoD
 Army
 NAVAIR
 NAVY
 Marines
 AFSC
 Air Force
– DOT
– NIST
– NOAA
• Industry
– Automobile 
manufacturers 
– Industrial coatings 
manufacturers
– Aeospace
 Commercial
 OEM
 Business
– Metal manufacturers
– Solar panel 
manufacturers
• International
– ESA
– Canadian Govt
– University (US and 
International)
– Coatings 
manufacturers
– REACH
• Path Forward
– Support the 21st Century Launch Complex program and Commercial 
Orbital Transport Services
– Continue efforts of REACH
Projects: late 90’s - Present
NASA-only Projects
• Corrosion Resistant Tubing for Space Shuttle Launch Sites 
• Chloride Rinse Additive Study 
• Electrochemical Evaluation of Alloys for Spaceport Design
• Multisensor for Corrosion Prediction
• Nanoscale Admixtures to Prevent the Corrosion of Rebar in 
Concrete
• Corrosion Testing of Airplane Wing Structures 
• Liquid Applied Coatings for Imbedded Rebar 
• NASA (UB) - Two Hour Salt Spray Exposure of Strike Plate 
(Internal Angular) Part No. 1110ND051 
• VAB Roof Remediation Support 
• Hex Chrome Alternative Coating Testing
• VAB Siding Coatings Testing 
• LC-39 Cryogenic Storage Tank Corrosion Control and 
Mitigation  
• Coatings Support for Exploration and Spaceport Design 
• Laser Depainting Study 
• Launch Coating Operations Support  (NASA and CCAFS)
• Self Cleaning Coatings 
• AR7 Coating Replacement 
• Polyimide Based Powder Coatings 
• In-Situ Phosphatization for KSC Coatings and Corrosion 
Preventative Compounds 
• TEERM and AFSPC Program Support 
• Smart Coating Project 
• Sintering Methods for Building a Lunar Launch Pad 
• Environmentally Friendly Coating Technologies 
• Low Volatile Organic Low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) 
Topcoats for Thermal Spray Coatings 
• AR-7 Replacement
• Refractory Materials Development, Test and Analysis Support 
• Continuous Flow Sintering System for Lunar Surface 
Stabilization 
• New Organic Zinc Rich Primer for Launch Structures 
• Hexavalent Chrome Alternatives for Aerospace 
• Demonstration/Validation of Environmentally-preferable 
Coatings for Launch Facilities 
• GSDO Program Hexavalent Chrome Alternatives 
• Environmentally Friendly Corrosion Preventative Compounds 
• New Accelerated Test Method for Corrosion Protective 
Coatings 
• Implementation of environmentally friendly corrosion 
preventative compounds into KSC ground processing use 
• Environmentally friendly post treatment/coating extender for 
improved asset sustainability for CPCs 
• All exterior coatings used at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center are tested at the site 
• In addition to corrosion protective coatings, items such as metal test panels, launch 
vehicle components, heat shields, radar support structures, and window frames are 
tested at the site for corrosion resistance
Projects: late 90’s - Present
Partnerships or Outside Customers:
• Naval Research Laboratory Support
• Army Research Lab/CTC Coupon Project
• Electrochemical Evaluation of Coatings (Private 
company)
• Effects of Chlorine Dioxide on Metals (Private company)
• Corrosion Resistance of Friction Stirred Welded Stainless 
Steel (Naval Research and Lehigh University)
• Powder Coating Evaluation (Private company)
• DoD Cost of Corrosion Study 
• Naval Facility Support 
• Rebar Corrosion (Private company)
• Fluorescing Coating Study (Private company)
• Weapons Group Coating Study (Private company)
• Chromate Coating Replacement for Aircraft Alloys 
(NAVAIR)
• Boeing (UB) – Evaluation of Corrosion Mitigation 
Techniques for Flight and other Critical Hardware using 
Citric Acid Passivation and Perfluorinated Polyether 
Grease
• Depainting Technology for Structural Steel (AFSPC and 
NASA)
• Polyurethane Replacement Coatings (AFSPC and NASA)
• NASA AP2 Program Support (NASA and US Air Force)
• Evaluation of USMC Hatch Covers  
• US Army Vehicle Coating Study 
• NAVAIR Support for Non-Chrome Coatings 
• NAVAIR / China Lake 
• Army Research Laboratory Coatings and Corrosion 
Research 
• Validation of Citric Acid as an Alternative to Nitric Acid 
for Passivation of Stainless Steel (NASA and DoD)
• U.S. Army Research Laboratory Coastal Atmospheric 
Exposure of Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Coated 
Panels 
• U.S. Army Research Laboratory Transparent Armor 
• Gulfstream Jet Corrosion Study 
• NTPEP Panel Exposure 
• Solar Panel Evaluation 
• Launch Coatings, Phase 2 for AFSPC 
• Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Coating Study 
• Paint Manufacturer - Based Non-Chrome Coating Study 
• AFSPC Launch Coating Support- Eastern Range 
Coatings 
• Magnesium Coating Study 
• Projects are part of collaborations or directly-contracted work
Summary
• NASA Beachside Atmospheric Exposure Test Site has evolved 
into a world-class test facility
• Dynamic capabilities and personnel to accommodate the 
changing needs of a multitude of users
Acknowledgements


The Vital Role of the Kennedy Space Center Beachside Atmospheric Corrosion Test Site in Selecting Corrosion Protection Coatings for Increased Sustainability

The Vital Role of the Kennedy Space Center Beachside Atmospheric Corrosion Test Site in Selecting Corrosion Protection Coatings for Increased Sustainability

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

NASA Technical Reports Server