AeroPel™ NPL APW Series Surface Treatment for Aviation

AeroPel™ NPL APW Series is a surface treatment developed and tested for use in the aviation sector to protect aircraft and ground support equipment (GSE) exposed to severe and corrosive conditions. AeroPel™ NPL’s superior tribological wear resistance, water repellency, and oil repellency provides long-term protection against rust and corrosion on any coated surface.

AeroPel™ NPL APW Series can be applied as a topcoat onto primers, as a finishing coat over topcoats, and on conversion-coated and bare metals. It’s applied with a spray process to metallic, ceramic, and polymer substrates. It features a semi-gloss, clear-coat omniphobic surface that prevents corrosion and weathering damage. It is resistant to fuels, hydraulic fluids and abrasion, providing durable protection for the substrate.

AeroPel™ NPL APW Series variants are water-based nanocomposites that cure rapidly after application to create a corrosion-resistant topcoat. The low-surface-energy, omniphobic nature has inherent hydro- and oleo-phobic properties. The surface treatment is low-VOC, chrome-free and one third the dry weight compared to Corrosion Inhibiting Compounds (CIC).

AeroPel™ NPL variants have been tested in several aviation trials in consultation with Boeing and multiple U.S. commercial airline operators. Tests were conducted over many months in environments known for harsh corrosive conditions, including Guam and Hawaiʻi. AeroPel™ NPL was shown to significantly improve galvanic, atmospheric corrosion resistance when compared with industry standard CICs and non-coated areas.

In these trials, components such as fasteners on the leading edge of a horizontal stabilizer were coated and monitored during standard periodic flight maintenance checks over 8 months. AeroPel™ NPL demonstrated the capability to completely prevent galvanic corrosion, especially in brass, aluminum, and steel interfaces.