Mapping the Atmospheric Corrosivity Risk Distribution for Aircraft

Atmospheric corrosion is a critical cause of mechanical failure in aircraft. This study applied three methodologies—PACER LIME, ISO CORRAG, and ICP—to map the atmospheric corrosivity risk distribution for aircraft and conducted an integrated analysis of the results. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) were utilized to map the distribution of 11 environmental variables. The findings revealed that PACER LIME and ISO CORRAG effectively captured the high corrosion risk in coastal areas, whereas ICP had limitations in representing the spatial distribution of corrosion risk and tended to underestimate the risk in inland areas. By integrating the risk distributions from PACER LIME and ISO CORRAG, a comprehensive atmospheric corrosivity risk map for South Korea was proposed, confirming the high corrosion risk in coastal regions. Although aircraft maintenance crews are aware of the dangers of atmospheric corrosion, they face challenges in visually recognizing the regional distribution of risk. The results of this study are expected to provide them with essential information on the distribution of atmospheric corrosion risk, enabling more effective responses to corrosion hazards.