Corrosion Prevention and Control for Outboard Submarine Systems

The Mk 77 Mod 0 Gas Generator launch tube used on SSBN submarines is currently constructed from 1026 carbon steel. The launch tube O-ring seal surfaces are exposed to sea water and are subject to corrosion resulting in an 18 month service life. A polymer composite material is required that can replace the steel and extend the service life of the launch tube to 10 years. Texas Research Institute Austin, Inc., proposes to develop a lightweight, low cost, corrosion-free polymer composite material to replace the corrosion prone steel. The composite material will meet the current launch tube design requirements including hydrostatic pressure, underwater explosive shock, shipboard vibration and ordinance testing. The composite material will be non-water soluble, and will not show significant degradation and will be able to form water tight seals over a 10 year service life. The Phase I project will determine the feasibility of replacing the metallic launch tube with a composite material and will consist of defining the design requirements, conducting a composite materials survey and evaluation, conducting a design study, fabricating subscale test articles, determining activation energies of candidate materials and preparing an accelerated life test plan for the composite launch tube.