The Boeing Company

Richard G Wire

Bruce R Davis

Terry C Tomt

Steven R Jones

Kay Youngdahl Blohowiak

Paul H Shelley, Jr

A method for testing for the presence of sol-gel on an aluminum test specimen includes: preparing an ammonium molybdate solution; preparing a hydrochloric acid solution; and mixing the solutions in 2:1 ratio in each of a number of receptacles. A test specimen of unknown coating, a first control specimen, and a second control specimen are placed in the mixed solution in three receptacles. The first control specimen has a sol-gel coating over an alodine coating; and the second control specimen has an alodine only coating. By timing events such as a change in color of the test and control specimens or the solution becoming opaque, the method determines that the test specimen of unknown coating has a like coating to that of a particular one of the control specimens if the timing of the event of the test specimen and the timing of the event of the particular control specimen are comparable.

Test for sol-gel on aluminum rivets

A sol-gel mixer based upon a supply of water or alcohol solvent, a supply of acid, a supply of zirconium alkoxide, and a supply of organosilane, has a series of valves and pumps which provide a first supply of acid and zirconium alkoxide to an agitated pre-mix vessel where the components are allowed to dwell. The solvent and organosilane are then combined with the output from the pre-mix vessel, which is agitated in a final-mix vessel to create a sol-gel. The mixed sol-gel may be aged within the final-mix vessel until ready for use. A series of automated control elements, including valves and pumps, are placed throughout the system to automatically control the volumetric flow of the components through the system in accordance with predetermined parameters.

Automated sol-gel mixer

A nondestructive method is provided for efficiently determining thickness of a sol-gel coating formed upon a metallic substrate. A value of infrared energy reflected from the metallic substrate without the sol-gel coating is determined. A value of infrared energy reflected from the metallic substrate with the sol-gel coating is determined. A value of infrared energy absorbed in the sol-gel coating is determined, and a value of the infrared energy absorbed in the sol-gel coating is correlated to a thickness of the sol-gel coating.

Growing community of inventors

Bonney Lake, WA, United States of America

Richard G Wire