Corrosion Testing of Armament End Items

Improving the performance of current military equipment requires the development of novel materials and technologies. These new materials must perform in harsh environments, long storage periods, and extended lifetimes. Corrosion resistance is vital to this performance and therefore must be evaluated with consistent and accurate test protocols. The Armaments Research Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) located at Picatinny Arsenal, NJ, has developed its in-house testing capabilities to take advantage of actual end item testing in addition to representative materials testing. Several current studies relating to armaments corrosion and environmental degradation studies will be discussed.