Coating Technologies for Insensitive Munitions
Abstract
Currently, the United States Army is evaluating coatings for use on ammunition containers. One of the required coatings that allow packaged 60-mm mortar cartridges to pass fast cook-off requirements in accordance with MIL-STD-2105C is an Intumescent coating system for fire and heat protection. An intumescent coating has all the properties of ordinary paint; furthermore, this coating will not sustain combustion. Consequently, it will not burn, thus providing a high degree of protection to the subsurface. Upon exposure to flame or heat, it immediately foams and swells, which contributes an effective insulation and heat shield for the subsurface. For this project, the coatings primarily function as a defense in case of fire and to prevent detonation of ammunition containers. However, several tests related to robustness of the Intumescent coating system have shown poor flexibility, impact and marginal moisture resistance. The Intumescent coating is marketed by No-Fire Technologies, Inc., and consists of a water-based A-18NV, according to MIL-PRF-24596. The materials were placed through arduous tests to see how long the system would endure before beginning to fail. Also, before being used in the field, munition containers with the coating on the outside were exposed to a large-scale fire and the cook-off time was recorded.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA456625
Entities
People
- Pauline Smith
Organizations
- United States Army Research Laboratory