LAUSR

Navy and Marine Corps aircraft operate around the world most frequently in hot, humid environments. Organic coating systems are used to protect aluminum aircraft skins and structural members from corrosion. In interior regions of the aircraft where sunlight/ultraviolet light cannot penetrate and, exacerbated by the heat and humidity, mold and mildew (fungal) spores may attach and proliferate leading to microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) [1]. Corrosion preventive compounds (CPC’s) and mildew inhibitors have been previously evaluated in prevention of corrosion and fungal growth, respectively [2]. Hydraulic fluid (HF) is also present on most aircraft surfaces through unintentional deposition as a part of the normal operation of the aircraft. Fungi have been shown to be capable of degrading CPC’s and HF resulting in copious biofilms [2]. The accepted procedure for removal of fungal biofilms during field operations is cleaning with isopropyl alcohol (IPA) [3]. The current study evaluated different cleaning procedures of multiple coating systems in terms of fungal biofilm removal.