Determination of gun propellants erosivity: Experimental and theoretical studies

Requirements for higher and higher performances of contemporary guns intensify investigations concerning influence of various factors on barrel erosion. The most important parameter for the life of the gun is the type of the gun propellant. The device based on modification of 37 mm M39 gun for investigating influence of gun propellant on barrel erosion is used. The nozzle (main part of device) mass loss during firing was the measure of gun propellant erosivity. The theory of nozzle erosion includes basic thermal, chemical and metallurgical factors. The main thermal and chemical factors are maximum nozzle inside surface temperature and gun propellant composition. The maximum nozzle surface temperature was determined theoretically by developed interior ballistic model with heat transfer, and experimentally by micro thermocouples measurements and solution of inverse heat conduction problem. The coefficients of gun propellants erosivity are determined in experimental and theoretical way.