An Overview and Assessment of Selected DoD High-Pressure Technology R and D Programs.

摘要

The Deputy Director for Research and Advanced Technology, ODDR/E, requested IDA to conduct a set of selected studies of the DoD Technology Base Programs in materials and structures. This paper deals with one aspect of these studies, namely the use of high pressures to synthesize or process new or improved materials. The objective of this task is to provide an assessment of the potential application benefits of such R/D and of its chances of success in producing practical and useful results. Over the past decade, the U.S.S.R. has made major investments in high-pressure technology, perhaps an order of magnitude greater than comparable investments made by the U.S. One of the most publicized goals of the Soviet work is the synthesis of a metallic state of hydrogen, which, if feasible, could have very important military implications. The assessment of the present study, however, concludes that this goal is still too scientifically tenuous to justify and major increase in U.S. R/D effort. Nonetheless, the potential national and military benefits are great and a more focused joint research program is recommended between the DoD, NSF, DoE, and NASA. Another closer-term benefit of high-pressure technology could be its use to process and form brittle materials.