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Since 2000, an Aluminum Cosmetic Corrosion task group within the SAE Automotive Corrosion and Protection (ACAP) Committee has existed. The task group has pursued the goal of establishing a standard test method for in-laboratory cosmetic corrosion evaluations of finished aluminum auto body panels. A cooperative program uniting OEM, supplier, and consultants has been created and has been supported in part by USAMP (AMD 309) and the U.S. Department of Energy. Prior to this committee's formation, numerous laboratory corrosion test environments have been used to evaluate the performance of painted aluminum closure panels. However, correlations between these laboratory test results and in-service performance have not been established. Thus, the primary objective of this task group's project was to identify an accelerated laboratory test method that correlates well with in-service performance.

The US Army operates in many harsh and demanding environments throughout the world, which are highly corrosive. However, there lacks a basic understanding of the severity of these environments and their impact on the Army's materiel. To better understand this impact and broaden their database of information, the Army has established test sites on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. These sites represent various climatic conditions the Army operates in. In select locations panel exposure of Army and automotive systems have been made to compare performance with that documented in the continental US by the SAE ACAP and past Army programs. This paper will present the details of this project and results through 1-year of exposure for this multi-year effort.