First Principles Predictions of Gun Tube Erosion Chemistry and Possible Protective Coatings.

摘要

Increasing the service lifetime of military machinery will improve logistics in the field (less down-time due to maintenance or replacement) and will free up resources for other pressing needs. To this end, the Army has a vested interest in enhancing the lifetime of gun barrels, which are limited currently by erosion of the steel from which the gun barrels are made. However, it is exceedingly difficult to determine experimentally in situ the mechanisms of erosion. Therefore, computer simulations can help elucidate those mechanisms and in ultimately extending the lifetime of gun barrels by discovering new ways to inhibit erosion.