Rifling of the Inner Diameter of Ceramic Tubes for Gun Barrel Applications

Silicon nitride (Si3N4) based materials have the potential for use as rifled gun barrels that can provide a significant increase in barrel life, offer weight reduction, and enable the use of higher energetic propellants. Despite the potential, Si3N4 gun barrels have not been used due to the difficulty in introduce rifling on the inner diameter of a Si3N4 tube. Phase I investigation has proven a technology that combines the attributes of silicon nitride and the complex shaping capability of powder injection molding to produce rifled gun barrels with an uniform rifling twist in the ID of a Si3N4 tube. Phase II will refine and expand the technique for the fabrication of rifled gun barrels for different caliber systems. Success will provide increased barrel life, increase in muzzle velocity, and weight reduction. The success in Phase II will also result in a generic technology that will allow the affordable fabrication of complex shaped parts from lightweight, high strength, high toughness, wear and abrasion resistant, and high temperature resistant silicon nitride that will have numerous applications in both defense and commercial sector. The success will provide DoD with the technology to finally realize the elusive goal of using ceramic gun barrels.