Physical and chemical interactions at the bore surface of a Ta-10W gun barrel liner
- Concurrent Technologies Corp., Johnstown, PA (United States)
- Refractory Metals Technology, Pittsburgh, PA (United States)
A 0.2 inch thick TA-10W liner installed at the breech end of a rifled medium caliber gun barrel has been metallurgically examined after firing 1,403 rounds of high kinetic energy ammunition under long burst high rate of fire conditions. Physical and chemical characterization of the liner bore surface zone and bulk material was accomplished using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, light optical microscopy, microindentation hardness and mechanical testing, and chemical analysis. Examination revealed bore surface damage that included rounding of lands, microcracking, melt erosion and flaking. Interactions of hydrogen, from propellant gases, with the liner material at elevated temperature and high pressure led to embrittlement. Collective observations indicate that Group VA refractory metal alloys are not well suited for this application.
- OSTI ID:
- 237695
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9510290--; ISBN 1-878954-58-X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
CARBON
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CRACKS
EMBRITTLEMENT
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GUNS
HARDNESS
HYDROGEN
INTERSTITIALS
MATERIALS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
METALLOGRAPHY
MICROSTRUCTURE
NITROGEN
OPTICAL MICROSCOPY
OXYGEN
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
TANTALUM ALLOYS
TENSILE PROPERTIES
TUNGSTEN ALLOYS