RTX Technology Research Center has been selected to lead a $1.3 million initiative under the America Makes Corrosion of Additive Tested At Component Scale program.

RTX Technology Research Center has been selected to lead a $1.3 million initiative under the America Makes Corrosion of Additive Tested At Component Scale program. Funded by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Manufacturing Technology Office, the project focuses on establishing standardized corrosion testing frameworks for metal additive manufacturing components in high-temperature environments. RTX will spearhead Topic 1, while a separate team led by the Colorado School of Mines, including partners like Conflux Technology and Elementum 3D, will address corrosion in thermal management systems. This effort aims to bridge the critical gap between laboratory-scale material testing and real-world performance of defense-grade hardware.

The defense sector faces significant hurdles in certifying metal parts produced via LPBF and other powder bed fusion processes due to the lack of standardized corrosion data compared to traditional wrought alloys. While additive manufacturing offers rapid, customizable production, the unique microstructures created by these processes often exhibit unpredictable corrosion behavior in harsh operational environments. This program addresses a major bottleneck in the defense industrial base, where qualification barriers currently prevent the widespread adoption of complex, high-performance components. By generating validated data at the component scale, the initiative seeks to align additive manufacturing quality standards with the rigorous requirements of the Department of Defense.

This project signals a shift toward data-driven certification protocols that will likely accelerate the transition of additive manufacturing from prototyping to mission-critical production. Industry stakeholders should monitor the upcoming progress reports at the America Makes Technical Review and Exchange events, as these findings will influence future material qualification standards. Success in this program could significantly lower the barrier to entry for advanced alloys and complex geometries in aerospace and defense supply chains.