Johnstown, PA March 20, 2023

Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC) recently conducted training and transition support for the U.S. Navy’s use of the CTC-developed Reverse Sensitization Unit (RSU). The RSU has been used on several Navy ships and has been proven to restore sensitized aluminum in ship structures. This most recent training was held in Norfolk, Virginia, at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC), a directorate under Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) and the U.S. Fleet Forces Command. 

Leveraging a CTC patent[1], a CTC-led team developed the RSU as a low-cost solution to restore affected material on Navy ships. Using the RSU, sensitized aluminum structures can be returned to their previously unsensitized state while in place, without the need to remove or replace the affected ship structure. 

The recent training at MARMC focused on the assembly, use, and storage of the RSU. It was conducted in accordance with a specific RSU training program that was developed for and approved by NAVSEA PMS 407. CTC also addressed questions and solicited ideas for future RSU enhancements from the MARMC personnel. The attending MARMC personnel received certificates acknowledging their successful completion of the training course.

CTC will continue to seek opportunities to transition the RSU and other reverse sensitization technologies to support maintenance of the Navy fleet. For more information, contact Rob Mason, Principal Materials and Process Scientist, at corrosion@ctc.com or 814-269-2662.

[1] Kramer et al (2016). Method to Improve the Corrosion Resistance of Aluminum Alloys (U.S. Patent No. 9,394,596 B2). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patents.google.com/patent/US20120234439A1/en.Using the RSU, sensitized aluminum structures can be returned to their previously unsensitized state while in place, without the need to remove or replace the affected ship structure.