A three-year study on corrosion control for Navy ships is complete resulting in the European Defence Agency finding a number of potential solutions to solve to corrosion problem.

The study looked at issues regarding increased military requirements, environmental regulations and the requirement to extend repair intervals to 6-10 years to reduce maintenance levels and related costs.

Protection Research

When looking at corrosion and fouling in seawater piping systems, the project first studied the drawbacks of existing technologies and then took the most efficient treatment, electrochlorination, and tested it with biosensors. One sensor was particularly promising, according to the report, and “the possibility of using this sensor for cleaning treatment triggering and optimization was successfully demonstrated.”

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The study looked at issues regarding increased military requirements, environmental regulations and the requirement to extend repair intervals to 6-10 years to reduce maintenance levels and related costs.

The efficiency of two biofouling control systems was also tested, and results showed that a combined system of electrochlorination and ultraviolet control systems proved to have potential, and was more tolerant for stainless steels and nickel-based alloys, as well as being more environmentally friendly, the report said.

Optimizing Operations

While it’s known that a combination of protective coatings and cathodic protection by sacrificial anodes or impressed current is an effective protection, there wasn’t a system in place to collect data for modelling cathodic protection. Therefore, the study implemented a database and concluded that “collection and integration of such data into an improved numerical model will help navies of all participating countries to come to optimized and dedicated CP systems for navy ships.”

The study also looked at its corrosion tests to develop new, faster testing for atmospheric and immersion exposure conditions. Emerging paint systems were also tested, highlighting the performance of a silicone alkyd finish coating. All paints tested, however, “presented a relatively high resistance to corrosion penetration.”