Thermospheric wind measurements obtained from linear non-gravitational accelerations of the Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) satellite show discrepancies when compared to ground-based measurements. In this paper the cross-wind is derived from both the linear and the angular accelerations using a newly developed iterative algorithm. The two resulting data sets are compared to test the validity of wind derived from angular accelerations and quantify the uncertainty in accelerometer-derived wind data. In general the difference is found to be less than 50 m/s vertically after high-pass filtering, and 100 m/s horizontally. A sensitivity analysis reveals that continuous thrusting is a major source of uncertainty in the torque-derived wind, as are the magnetic properties of the satellite. The energy accommodation coefficient is identified as a particularly promising parameter for improving the consistency of thermospheric cross-wind data sets in the future. The algorithm may be applied to obtain density and cross-wind from other satellite missions that lack accelerometer data, provided the attitude and orbit are known with sufficient accuracy.@en

Organic primer coatings loaded with environmentally harmful Cr(VI) corrosion inhibitive pigments still play an important role in corrosion protection of aluminium alloys for the aerospace industry. A potential “green” alternative coating system has recently been developed, loaded with lithium salt corrosion inhibitors. Under exposure to neutral salt spray, lithium salts leach from the organic coating into coating defects to induce the formation of a corrosion protective layer. In this work the composition and growth of this protective layer is investigated by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). ToF-SIMS imaging is successfully applied to monitor the lateral spread of leaching lithium salts in artificial 1-mm-wide scribes. The chemical composition of the protective layer is revealed by comparing the mass spectra of salt spray exposed scribe areas to the mass spectra of pseudoboehmite and aluminium-lithium layered double hydroxide reference samples. The insights obtained in this work have led to a thorough understanding of the formation mechanism of the protective layer and provide local chemical and structural information which can be linked to corrosion protection behavior.

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Lithium based inhibitors in aerospace coatings are seen as excellent replacements for their chromium counterparts which are both carcinogenic and heavier. However, Li is generally difficult to detect and following changes in its distribution due to corrosion is impossible with many standard techniques. Combining MeV Particle Induced Gamma and X-ray emission provides a powerful tool and in this paper we summarise some recent experiments on such coatings using the CSIRO Nuclear Microprobe. PIGE mapping of the LiCO₃ particles and their patterning illustrates how the method will be extremely useful in monitoring surface corrosion.

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Lithium salts are being investigated as leachable corrosion inhibitor and potential replacement for hexavalent chromium in organic coatings. Model coatings loaded with lithium carbonate or lithium oxalate demonstrated active corrosion inhibition and the formation of a protective layer in a damaged area during neutral salt spray exposure. The present paper provides an abridged overview of the initial studies into this novel inhibitor technology for the active corrosion protection of aluminum alloys. Coating defects were investigated by microscopic techniques before and after exposure to corrosive conditions. Scanning electron microscopy analysis of cross-sections of the coating defect area demonstrated that the protective layer comprises a typical three-layered structure, which included a dense layer near the alloy surface, a porous middle layer, and a flake-shaped out layer. Potentiodynamic polarization measurements obtained with a microcapillary cell positioned in the coating defect area and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy confirmed the corrosion protective properties of these protective layers. The long-term corrosion inhibition of the lithium-based coating technology was tested in industrial coating systems.

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