TB 43-0213
SECTION Il. DESCRIPTION AND DATA
snow, heat, frost, and humidity--all contribute to the
1-8
General.
vulnerability of U.S. Army vehicles, as do mud, dust,
and stones from the roads impacting on their
a. This section outlines the U.S. Army's Corrosion
undersides.
Prevention and Control (CPC) Program as well as the
generic/specific approaches toward rustproofing being
g. The potential for U.S. military losses due to
presented in this technical bulletin.
corrosion is 11.4 percent of our national losses. Today
this figure would exceed billion annually.
b. Special considerations and data regarding
material hazards, toxic dosage levels, and toxic dosage
ratings are also presented.
1-10. Corrosion Prevention and Control
(CPC).
c. Finally, some common misunderstandings re-
garding rustproofing materials and applications are
a. Corrosion Prevention and Control (CPC) is an
clarified.
Army-wide effort to improve vehicle readiness and to
extend the service life of both current and future
vehicle inventories. Reductions in Army maintenance
1-9.
The Problem.
requirements, vehicle downtimes, and the high costs of
repairs are also important objectives of this program.
a. Corrosion is formally defined as a process of
dissolving or wearing away, especially of metals. The
world itself is a highly corrosive environment in which
is only one part of the overall CPC program which
the dissolution and wearing away of metals and other
includes Army initiatives in the following areas:
materials is a constant and on-going process.
(1) Design. Army Tank-Automotive procure-
ment now places a greater emphasis on corrosion free
b. The fundamental source of corrosion is water in
design in all future vehicle buys. This includes
the form of rain, streams, dew, or humidity. One way or
eliminating or designing out rust-prone areas, such as
another, water touches upon every exposed and
pockets and sills in vehicle design, whenever possible as
air-reachable surface on this planet.
well as a design preference for corrosion free/corrosion
resistant materials in the construction of new
c. A second major source of corrosion is sunlight.
equipment. Army procurement design considerations
More specifically, the sun's ultraviolet rays work to
also include the vehicle's manufacturing process and
compromise or destroy organic materials such as rubber
the stowage requirements of the vehicle. To influence
and paints.
design in these directions, the Army has produced a
d. Plant life also contributes to the problem of
"Design Guide" for private industry that includes
corrosion by producing gasses such as ammonia.
corrosion free design considerations, lessons learned,
Recently, scientists discovered that bogs, marshes, and
and material selection considerations. In addition, an
other wetlands of this earth also give off large quantities
accelerated corrosion test that compresses fifteen years
of dimectyl sulfide and hydrogen sulfide. These gasses
of service life into a twelve month test period has been
happen to be the main chemical ingredients of acid rain
added to the Army's new equipment test and
which was once believed to be produced solely by
acceptance standards. This fact itself influences future
industrial pollutants.
vehicle designs within private industry.
(2) Training. CPC training efforts have been
e. Corrosion is a by-product of our own natural
initiated toward a greater awareness of corrosion and
environment. It is also a natural process, nature's way
corrosion prevention on the part of Army managers,
of returning metals and other materials to their natural
private industry, and equipment users. This greater
state.
awareness is being accomplished by means of the design
f. Rusting is the most common form of corrosion in
guide contract requirements, the Corrosion Prevention
and Control Program Regulation (see paragraph 1-4),
the world today. It causes an estimated 6 billion
and through formal classroom training and updates to
worth of damage annually in the United States alone.
all vehicle specific Army technical manuals. Corrosion
U.S. Army vehicles, because of their intended uses and
detection, for example, will soon be a standard
functions, are particularly susceptible to rusting, Such
vehicles are expected to travel off-the-road and
semiannual inspection in the Preventive Maintenance
Checks and Services (PMCS) tables for all tank-auto-
overland through streams and mire in order to
motive equipment.
accomplish their mission. The elements--rain, sun,
1-4
