TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Materials/Processes, Weapons

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: Integrated Warfare Systems (IWS-3); Advanced Gun Systems; ACAT III

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals, their country of origin, and what tasks each would accomplish in the statement of work in accordance with section 3.5.b.(7) of the solicitation.

OBJECTIVE: Enable the manufacture of metal-metal high-density composite materials, which have strength to survive severe shock loading conditions.

DESCRIPTION: Metal/polymer and metal/metal reactive material billets have shown remarkable promise in the development of new warhead concepts and effectiveness, however, low strengths, moderate densities and availability of material sizes, densities, and compositions has been a problem in advancing this promising technology. These weaknesses place limits on their use. This SBIR suggests a composition and process modification, which should increase density and strength while not adversely affecting performance. It is suggested that novel metal/metal composite materials with pre-selected densities and compositions could be constructed out of a heavy metal/light metal powder mixtures to predefined densities. Subsequent compression, sintering and/or polymer cured could provide materials with sufficient strength and resilience to provide excellent candidate compositions for advanced reactive material assessment. Metal-Metal compositions (or molding powders) with high densities (5-8 gm/cc) and reactivity (calculated output energies in the 1000 to 2000 cal/gm) when oxidized are sought. Materials produced must be fully characterized using standard chemical methods to verify composition, coating layer thickness, poly-dispersity particle size, shape, surface properties and composition stability/compatibility (DSC/TGA analysis) with standard processing and ordnance materials. Examples of metal-metal combinations sought include, but are not limited to; Hafnium/Aluminum, Tungsten/Aluminum, Hafnium/Zinc, Zirconium/Zinc and Zirconium/Aluminum among others. The process should be sufficiently adaptable so that tri or tetra components systems can also be synthesized and evaluated. The proposed processes should be scaleable and offer scales of economy for eventual production lots of well characterized compositions.

PHASE I: Identify, with process chemistry support, high density compositions that have high potential energy release. Synthesize coated compositions with final densities in the range of 5 to 7 gm/cc using materials suggested above. Provide samples which reverse the core material yet achieve the same densities. Provide one pound samples of mutually agreed upon compositions to government laboratories for evaluation and assessment. The Phase II product may become classified.

PHASE II: Demonstrate that candidate metal-metal compositions can be scaled to the multi-pound level with appropriate characterization and evaluation. Provide material samples to various research and development establishments for continued development and evaluation. Develop and provide a process research and development plan that will allow for the generation of specifications and quality controls for material manufacture. The Phase II product may become classified.

PHASE III: Provide specifications for large scale production of selected metal-metal materials. Develop manufacturing data package describing cost factors, material characterization, processing and quality control aspects. It is anticipated that this technology will be used for several systems, including the Kinetic Energy--Electronic Time Fuze (KE-ET) gun round (PEO-IWS), the advanced high blast bomb family (PEO(W) PMA-280), as well as any number of PIP air-to-air and ground-to-air missile systems HARM, AMRAM, Sidewinder, Standard Missile, RAM, etc.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: This material has application in any product which has high energy output where plastic parts could be replaced by higher density reinforced reactive material to increase energy output, strength and density. Safety flares may be one application.

REFERENCES:
1. "Impact Initiation of Rods of Pressed Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and Aluminum Powders", W. Mock, Jr, W. H. Holt, 14th APS Topical Conference on Shock Compression of Condensed Matter, 31 July � 5 August, 2005, Baltimore, MD

2. "Reaction Efficiencies for Impact-Initiated Energetic Materials", R.G. Ames, S.S. Waggener, 32nd International Pyrotechnics Seminar, June 2005, Karlsruhe, Germany

3. "Vented Chamber Calorimetry for Impact-Initiated Energetic Materials", R.G. Ames, AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, January 2005

4. "Measurements of Energy Release of Impacting Reactive Spheres"; Waggener S.S.; Warheads and Ballistics Classified Symposium, August 2004 5. "Energy Release of Impacting Reactive Spheres"; Waggener, S.S., Naval Surface Warfare Center; Dahlgren Division Technical Report TR-04/9; September, 2004

KEYWORDS: High Density Reactive Materials, Reactive, Energetic, Metal-Metal, Composite, Manufacture

TPOC: Clifford Bedford
Phone: (703)696-0437
Fax: (703)696-4274
Email: [email protected]
2nd TPOC: R. Jason Jouet
Phone: (301)744-4212
Fax: (301)744-4445
Email: [email protected]
3rd TPOC: Gil Graff
Phone: (703)588-0703
Fax: (703)696-4274
Email: [email protected]

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

DoD Notice:   Between November 13 and December 9, 2007, you may talk directly with the Topic Author(s) to ask technical questions about the topics. Their contact information is listed above. For reasons of competitive fairness, direct communication between proposers and topic authors is not allowed starting December 10, 2007, when DoD begins accepting proposals for this solicitation.

However, proposers may still submit written questions about solicitation topics through the DoD's SBIR/STTR Interactive Topic Information System (SITIS), in which the questioner and respondent remain anonymous and all questions and answers are posted electronically for general viewing until the solicitation closes. All proposers are advised to monitor SITIS (08.1 Q&A) during the solicitation period for questions and answers, and other significant information, relevant to the SBIR 08.1 topic under which they are proposing.

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