Fixing a Rusty Economy Using Technology

This blog post was shared by the Advanced Materials, Manufacturing, and Testing Information Analysis Center (AMMTIAC).

When reflecting on things that impact the national economy, most of us tend to think of outsourcing, the stock market, tax policy, etc. Did you think of corrosion? You should.

Over 3% of the Nation’s gross domestic product is spent combating this scourge every year. If that doesn’t sound like a big number, consider this. Corrosion costs every man, woman, and child in this country on average about $1,000 per year! This affects all sectors of our society, including National Defense. The Department of Defense (DOD) currently spends about $23 billion annually to mitigate the impact of corrosion to mission readiness, system performance, operating costs, and safety.

In 2003, Congress directed the DOD to initiate a coordinated corrosion prevention and control effort across all branches and agencies of the military. The resulting organization, the DOD Corrosion Office, directs multiple thrusts in corrosion research and development, training, outreach, and policy, using existing organizations and talent within government, industry, and academia to implement its mission.

The Advanced Materials, Manufacturing, and Testing Information Analysis Center, or AMMTIAC, the DOD’s Center of Excellence for preserving and promoting defense-critical enabling technologies, is an important partner in DOD’s campaign against corrosion. In conjunction with the DOD Corrosion Office, AMMTIAC works to keep the nation’s defense systems and infrastructure running smoothly.

For example, AMMTIAC is using a novel material processing technology, called superfinishing, to enhance the surface finish of metals and improve their durability against friction forces. This process will delay corrosion, improve wear resistance, enhance overall performance and extend the life of metallic components.

The Advanced Materials, Manufacturing, and Testing Information Analysis Center (AMMTIAC) is one of ten Information Analysis Centers (IACs) chartered by DOD and operated by the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC). AMMTIAC is the DOD Center of Excellence responsible for acquiring, archiving, analyzing, synthesizing, and disseminating scientific and technical information related to advanced materials, manufacturing, and testing.

Interested in learning more or working with AMMTIAC on an upcoming effort? AMMTIAC can be reached via the IAC website at http://iac.dtic.mil.