Technical Paper
Qualification of Low-Density Materials for Aircraft Corrosion Protection and Integral Fuel Tank Sealing
1997-06-03
972241
Low-density polysulfide-based sealants are at the leading edge of engineering technology for sealing processes applicable to military and commercial aircraft. This paper focuses on a major aircraft manufacturer's quality assurance (QA) system dedicated to testing and evaluating sealants for placement on applicable Qualified Products Lists (QPLs); This QA system enabled this aircraft manufacturer to qualify two Class C designations -- Classes C-2 and C-48 -- of low-density sealants. The generic procedure for qualification of low-density sealants, especially Class C materials, is explained from the aircraft manufacturer's point of view. The Engineering decisionmaking process for selecting and documenting property test requirements for qualification of aircraft sealants is discussed.