Low Cost High Strength High Toughness Corrosion Resistant Materials for Marine Corps Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAAV)

QuesTek Innovations LLC proposes to demonstrate the feasibility for the rapid development of a low-cost, nanostructured high-strength, high-toughness stainless steel for components of the Marine Corps Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAAV), which experience severe corrosive and abrasive environments, including seawater and sand. To perform successfully, the material from which these structural components are fabricated must have a balance of properties, including high-strength, high-toughness, good wear resistance, and good corrosion resistance. The best material solutions currently available are either Ti alloys, such as Ti-6-4, or proprietary stainless steel alloys. Ti-6-4 is an expensive material, and a significant goal of this project is the reduction of material and machining costs without sacrificing performance. A well-developed set of computational design tools has already been applied to the design of new stainless steels for aerospace landing gear applications. Under this proposed Phase I SBIR, a series of microstructural toughening strategies will be theoretically assessed to devise stainless steel compositions matching the more rigid corrosion resistance, strength, and toughness properties needed for structural components of the AAAV. A new high strength, high toughness stainless alloy would have dual-use application potential for commercial aircraft and other commercial markets such as marine equipment.