Low-Permeability Coating for Nitrile Rubber

The TOMAHAWK Capsule Launching System (CLS) is being leveraged for integration of the littoral Warfare Weapon (LWW) on SSGN and SSN 688I/Virginia Class Vertical Launch System capable platforms. The CLS includes a nylon fabric reinforced nitrile rubber fly-through cover. During stowage of the capsule in the submarine, the fly-through cover can be exposed to seawater. The fly-through cover must seal the capsule interior, which houses a missile, from the external environment. Since the nitrile rubber is permeable, and the humidity inside the capsule must be maintained below a certain threshold, a Mylar®-tin foil-Mylar® low permeability barrier must be installed over the nitrile rubber cover. The Mylar®-tin foil-Mylar® barriers are expensive, easily damaged, and present potential debris concerns after missile launch. METSS intends to replace this barrier by adding sufficient moisture barrier protection directly to the nitrile rubber fly-through cover. This will be done through the addition of a high moisture barrier polymer composition, most likely in the form of a tightly bound coating applied directly to the nitrile rubber cover. Moreover, METSS will formulate the moisture barrier layer so that it will have acceptable life when operating in a seawater environment.