Several commercial products are suggested for use as freshwater rinse additives to enhance salt removal and to provide a residual protective film that can retard the rate of metal corrosion in seawater environments. These products have become increasingly attractive to the military as they face stronger demands to reduce the high costs of corrosion related repairs and extend the lifetimes of ground vehicles and other equipment operating in harsh marine environments. Presently, however, there have been few studies in which the additive performance has been demonstrated for various controlled conditions simulating those likely to be encountered in service. In this study the inhibitive performance of rinse water additives is assessed for conditions in which salinity is a moderating variable. Weight loss measurements are used to determine inhibitor performance for both aluminum and steel samples. Results are discussed in terms of the potential benefits and optimal conditions for their use.
Keywords: corrosion control, inhibiting washes, military equipment, marine environments, steel, aluminum.