Ion beam methods applied to interior ballistic studies

Conference · Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1981 · IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5559230

Niler, A

High temperature, pressure and velocity gases produced during the interior ballistic cycle of a gun firing are responsible for considerable damage to the steel surfaces of a gun bore. This damage is studied by exposing steel samples to the erosive flows of burning propellant gases in a modified 37mm gun chamber where pressures of 200 MPa and flame temperatures of 3000/sup 0/K are typical. Ion beam methods are used to characterize the composition of the steel surfaces by combined nuclear reaction (NR) and elastic backscattering (EBS) analysis and thin layer activation (TLA) is used to measure surface wear rates. Combined fits to the EBS and NR distributions yield concentrations and depth profiles of carbon, nitrogen and oxygen as well as iron and other heavier elements. Hydrogen concentrations have also been measured on some of the samples. The results of these experiments show the presence of two different erosion mechanisms. In one, the surface is softened by thermo-chemical processes prior to removal by the shear forces of the gas flow while in the other surface layer melting occurs prior to removal. TLA using the /sup 56/Fe(p,n)/sup 56/Co reaction has been used to measure wear from a 20 mm barrel and is being instrumented for larger barrels. EBS is being used to characterize the interfaces between steel substrates and coatings designed to reduce erosion.

• Research Organization: Ballistic Research Lab., ABRADCOM, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland 21005
• OSTI ID: 5559230
• Report Number(s): CONF-801111-; TRN: 84-001448
• Journal Information: IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci.; (United States), Vol. NS-28:2; Conference: 6. conference on application of accelerators in research and industry, Denton, TX, USA, 3 Nov 1980
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ION BEAMS
ELASTIC SCATTERING
STEELS
EROSION
BACKSCATTERING
COBALT 56
COMBUSTION
DETONATIONS
EXPLOSIONS
GUNS
IRON 56
PROJECTILES
SURFACES
WEAR
ALLOYS
BEAMS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COBALT ISOTOPES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
IRON ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
OXIDATION
RADIOISOTOPES
SCATTERING
STABLE ISOTOPES
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
360106* - Metals & Alloys- Radiation Effects