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Chemical Removal of Rust As environmental concerns have been addressed in recent years, interest in noncaustic chemical rust removal has increased. A variety of commercial products, which actively remove the iron oxide without chemically etching the base metal, are available and should be considered for use. Generally speaking, if at all possible, the steel part should be removed from the airframe for treatment, as it can be nearly impossible to remove all residues. The use of any caustic rust removal product will require the isolation of the part from any nonferrous metals during treatment, and will probably require inspection for proper dimensions. Chemical Surface Treatment of Steel There are approved methods for converting active rust to phosphates and other protective coatings. Other commercial preparations are effective rust converters where tolerances are not critical and where thorough rinsing and neutralizing of residual acid is possible. These situations are generally not applicable to assembled aircraft, and the use of chemical inhibitors on installed steel parts is not only undesirable but also very dangerous. The danger of entrapment of corrosive solutions and the resulting uncontrolled attack, which could occur when such materials are used under field conditions, outweigh any advantages to be gained from their use. Removal of Corrosion from Highly Stressed Steel Parts Any corrosion on the surface of a highly stressed steel part is potentially dangerous, and the careful removal of corrosion products is required. Surface scratches or change in surface structure from overheating can also cause sudden failure of these parts. Corrosion products must be removed by careful processing, using mild abrasive papers such as rouge or fine grit aluminum oxide, or fine buffing compounds on cloth buffing wheels. Nonwoven abrasive pads can also be used. It is essential that steel surfaces not be overheated during buffing. After careful removal of surface corrosion, reapply protective paint finishes immediately. Corrosion of Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys Corrosion on aluminum surfaces is usually quite obvious, since the products of corrosion are white and generally more voluminous than the original base metal. Even in its early stages, aluminum corrosion is evident as general etching, pitting, or roughness of the aluminum surfaces. NOTE: Aluminum alloys commonly form a smooth surface oxidation that is from 0.001 to 0.0025 inch thick. This is not considered detrimental; the coating provides a hard shell barrier to the introduction of corrosive elements. Such oxidation is not to be confused with the severe corrosion discussed in this paragraph. General surface attack of aluminum penetrates relatively slowly, but is speeded up in the presence of dissolved salts. Considerable attack can usually take place before serious loss of structural strength develops. At least three forms of attack on aluminum alloys are particularly serious: (1) the penetrating pit-type corrosion through the walls of aluminum tubing, (2) stress corrosion cracking of materials under sustained stress, and (3) intergranular corrosion which is characteristic of certain improperly heat-treated aluminum alloys. In general, corrosion of aluminum can be more effectively treated in place compared to corrosion occurring on other structural materials used in aircraft. Treatment includes the mechanical removal of as much of the corrosion products as practicable, and the inhibition of residual materials by chemical means, followed by the restoration of permanent surface coatings. Treatment of Unpainted Aluminum Surfaces Relatively pure aluminum has considerably more corrosion resistance compared with the stronger aluminum alloys. To take advantage of this characteristic, a thin coating of relatively pure aluminum is applied over the base aluminum alloy. The protection obtained is good, and the pure-aluminum clad surface (commonly called “Alclad") can be maintained in a polished condition. In cleaning such surfaces, however, care must be taken to prevent staining and marring of the exposed aluminum and, more important from a protection standpoint, to avoid unnecessary mechanical removal of the protective Alclad layer and the exposure of the more susceptible aluminum alloy base material. A typical aluminum corrosion treatment sequence follows:
Aluminum surfaces that are to be subsequently painted can be exposed to more severe cleaning procedures and can also be given more thorough corrective treatment prior to painting. The following sequence is generally used:
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