An Ultra-High Carbon Steel Bonded Tungsten Carbide Material for Armor Piercing Rounds

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I effort will demonstrate the feasibility of an innovative tungsten carbide (WC) metal matrix composite for use as a non-carcinogenic penetrator for armor piercing (AP) munitions for small arms. The objectives of this effort are to: 1) Mechanically compact the WC and binder powders, 2) Sinter the compacted powders into a fully dense composite, 3) Characterize the structure of the composite, 4) Characterize the physical properties of the composite, and 5) Produce a 5.56mm diameter, 500mm long rod with the proposed material. By successful completion of the Phase I project, a new material and processing technique, capable of producing high-performance AP penetrators, will be delivered.