Improved ammunition coatings: New class of corrosion-inhibiting pigments yields enhanced durability, reliability, and performance

SummaryARL and ARDEC have recently qualified and implemented the UAC into large-caliber ammunition production. Timely implementation of the “drop in” UAC has allowed for continuous, uninterrupted production of 120- and 155-mm projectiles at AAP and AAA. If the UAC were not implemented in a timely manner, Scranton AAP would have been required to incorporate expensive emission control equipment to meet local environmental regulations, costing an estimated $300K. Implementation of the UAC will allow renovation facilities to meet local environmental regulations during the renovation of artillery projectiles.The UAC test results indicated outstanding performance and suitability as a replacement for the current system. These replacements, applied at the smallest film thickness of applied coating, would be the easiest to implement. After assessment, the parts were shipped to the ARL facility for final evaluation. Based upon exposure of truncated 155 mm rounds coated with MIL-DTL-11195 to as much as 500 hours of ASTM B117, the following can be supported: MIL-DTL-11195 outperforms the legacy system by at least a factor of three, regardless of application site.