Advanced Ceramic Gun Barrel Materials & Processing Methods--Phase II

"Barrel erosion, which is produced by the combination of hightemperature and pressure with aggressive propellant combustionproducts, and the action of the projectile, results in decreasedmuzzle velocities, increased projectile yaw, and decreasedaccuracy. New material designs are needed to mitigate erosion ingun barrels, which limits service lifeCeramic composites are a leading material candidate for gunbarrels because of their thermochemical stability, erosionresistance and low density. Ceramic composites can prolongservice life and provide other enhancements to gun barrels. Newdesigns and manufacturing methods are needed to integrate ceramiccomposite barrels with current infantry weapons, such as the M249Squad Automatic Weapon.Thor Technologies, Inc. has teamed with Los Alamos NationalLaboratory, Materials Research & Design, and Fabrique NationaleManufacturing, Inc. to develop a novel hybrid ceramic compositedesign and an innovative, low-cost manufacturing method. DuringPhase II, prototype ceramic gun barrels will be produced andvalidated through live fire tests.The Principal Investigator and the project team have theexperience and expertise to develop ceramic composite gun barrelssuitable for the infantry combat environmentBENEFITS: Enhancement of barrel service life will reduce weapon lifecycle costs. The availability of low cost ceramic composites will benefit aerospace and industrial applications ranging from jet engines and