Abstract
Studies at Vanderbilt and elsewhere have demonstrated that superconducting quantum interference (SQUID) magnetometers can be utilized for quantitative measurements of both corrosion activity and material loss in aircraft aluminum alloys. SQUIDs provide sufficient spatial resolution the distribution of hidden corrosion currents can be mapped. The sensitivity of SQUIDs operating at 4 K in liquid helium is such that corrosion can be detected for salt concentrations as low as 1 part per million, and corrosion in 4% NaCl can be detected through 1.4 cm of aluminum. While measurements of the magnetic field from galvanic currents is straightforward in the laboratory, where ferromagnetic fasteners can be eliminated and low frequency noise and the earth’s magnetic field can be shielded, this technique has yet to be demonstrated on aircraft on the flight line. Advanced, low-frequency SQUID eddy current measurements utilizing sheet inducers and phase-sensitive detection offers a depth-selective technique to image material loss deep in aluminum structures. The size of the signal makes this approach highly suitable for implementation with 77 K, liquid-nitrogen cooled SQUIDs. Thus SQUIDs may be useful both for quantitative, laboratory assessment of the rate of hidden corrosion in aircraft samples, and for imaging the extent of second- and third-layer corrosion damage in aircraft.
