Electron-Beam & Magnetron Sputtering Formation of Reactive Materials for Non-Parasitic Anti-Material Structures

"Surface Treatment Technologies, Inc. (ST2) proposes the application of advanced electron-beam physical vapor deposition and magnetron sputtering (EB-PVD/MS) materials processing for the formation of novel reactive structures to function as non-parasiticwarhead materials for ballistic missile kill-vehicles. These reactive structures can be used either as kill vehicles against incoming threat systems, or as payloads for "bunker-buster" defeat approaches to chemical/biological stockpiles. Current missilesemploy the hit-to-kill defeat concept, which may prove insufficient for chemical/biological threat systems. The addition of conventional warheads would add excess weight and make intercept more difficult. The proposed approach would use rapid PVDprocessing to form full structural bodies that would also provide flame/incendiary capabilities upon impact. EB-PVD processing has demonstrated the ability to form large structures (1 meter diameter) with thickness of 5-10 millimeters in a period of lessthan 3 hours. The process can be adapted for single metal materials, multi-layered functionally gradient, or thermally reactive structures. The Phase I effort will select materials systems with potentially unique pyrophoric properties and verify boththermal and mechanical properties of the candidate using magnetron sputtering. Phase II will develop designs via computation fluid dynamics, as well as form and test large monolithic reactive