Wear Resistant Coating for Tank Gun Barrel Applications

Development of a low cost technology for applying wear and corrosion resistant coatings onto the internal surface of tank gun barrels is of great importance for high performance and extending the operational lifetime of modern artillery. Currently, achrome plating method is used. However, this technology has several serious limitations including environmental hazards associated with the handling and disposal of the chemicals required for the chrome plating process. This proposal presents a newtechnology that is still under development that appears promising for applying wear and corrosion resistant coatings inside gun barrels. This technology has significant advantages when compared to with the current plating process and conventional thermalspray methods. A brief summary of the problems associated with chrome plating technology is presented; a new concept of spraying high quality coatings based on using the Cold Spray process is described. There is a great demand in industry for a costeffective technology to apply dense coatings inside tubes, pipes, and cylinders to enhance the wear resistance of components in contact with each other, and corrosion resistance to protect the pipe material from attack by the material flowing through it.Industries that would benefit from this technology include the military, chemical refineries, oil and gas, piping and tubing, automotive, and aerospace. Additionally, a market to sell Cold Spray equipment to coat the inside of cylindrical geometries wouldemerge to compete with other coating technologies stimulating the economy.