During the 21th Century, the availability of petroleum-derived fuels is declining and the cost
of petroleum has soared to over $100 per barrel. The demand for petroleum is causing a global
shift towards the use of alternative fuels. Additionally, because the United States currently
imports over 60% of our current oil needs, our energy security is at risk due to uncertainties in
world politics. This is a particular concern for the Department of Defense (DoD) for which
assured fuel availabilities is critical to effective military operations. While hydrogen, ethanol,
and other non-hydrocarbon fuels are practical alternative fuels for the commercial sector, only
liquid hydrocarbons meet the stringent needs of the military in terms of energy content, safety,
handling and multi-platform use over the full range of operational conditions. In order to meet
future Naval performance and safety requirements, it is anticipated that synthetic logistics fuels
will be required to meet the current Naval petroleum-based physical, combustion, and chemistry
specifications. The use and combustion of synthetic fuels may cause corrosion and degradation
of materials as compared to the use of petroleum-based fuels. This paper will explore some of
these scenarios.