Grantee Research Project Results

Final Report: Pollution-Free Process for Surface Protection

EPA Contract Number: 68D99084
Title: Pollution-Free Process for Surface Protection
Investigators: Tramel, Terri L.
Small Business: Surface Treatment Technologies Inc.
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: II
Project Period: September 1, 1999 through September 1, 2001
Project Amount: $224,960
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase II (1999) Recipients Lists
Research Category: SBIR - Pollution Prevention , Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)

Description:

Under this contract, Surface Treatment Technologies, Inc. (ST2) pursued the application of two novel coating technologies to replace use of chrome plating on industrial rolls and small arms gun barrels. Both of these applications currently utilize hard chrome plating for wear resistance in production. The application of the Laser Induced Surface Improvement, or LISI^SM, process was introduced through Phase I efforts and was shown to be successful at improving wear of flat steel structures. In Phase II, this work was applied in an attempt to provide a wear surface onto corrugated rolls, and evolved into pursuing a means of repair for the rolls. If successful, the repair method would reduce the use of chrome plating entire rolls when repairs are needed to fill dents introduced to rolls during service.

Electro-spark alloying (ESA) successfully was adapted to apply protective coatings for protection of the interior surface of gun barrels for the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW). This work also was supported by partnership funding from the U.S. Army Armament Research Development and Engineering Center, which is responsible for the development and production of this weapon.

Research conducted included examining appropriate coatings properties, process development to make test samples, hardware fabrication development, and testing of sub-scale samples and small arms barrels.

Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):

ST2 successfully developed a process to replace chrome plating for the protection of the interior surface of gun barrels for the SAW using ESA. A key breakthrough in this work was the application of coatings to the interior diameter of an 18 inch-long tube barrel blank. Barrel blanks were coated with Stellite 20, Stellite 21, Haynes 25, and Ta-10W alloys and manufactured into barrels that underwent live-fire testing. Another novel component of this work is the forging of coated blanks to form the rifling on the interior of the gun barrels. This greatly simplified the application of an ESA coating. Testing results showed survival of the coatings through forging and live-fire testing with the best performance by Haynes 25 and Stellite 21.

In contrast, ST2 was unsuccessful in developing a coating or repair method that was suitable for replacement of existing coatings for corrugated industrial rolls. Adaptation of the LISI^SM process to coat the complex geometry of the corrugated roll and the required development of alternative profiles of the rolls prior to processing with LISI^SM were beyond the scope of funding for this particular project, but similar work on complex surface geometries continues to be pursued for LISI^SM.

Conclusions:

Repair methods, in which ESA was used to fill dents and voids on corrugated rolls, were successful in creating fully dense material into voided areas of the roll. However, the ESA-applied wear-resistant coatings on top of the repair areas were not successful in providing similar wear resistance to the performance of chrome plating or thermal-sprayed alternatives. The repair methods developed under this funding and internal development funds are being used to pursue commercialization of ESA repair for dies for injection molding and stamping industries.

Supplemental Keywords:

small business, SBIR, EPA, die repair, mold repair, wear-resistant coatings, high- temperature oxidation-resistant coatings, surface treatment, military small arms, rifled gun barrels, industrial rolls, Sustainable Industry/Business, RFA, Scientific Discipline, Air, Toxics, Technology for Sustainable Environment, Engineering, Chemistry, Sustainable Environment, HAPS, Engineering, Chemistry, & Physics, Atmospheric Sciences, cleaner production/pollution prevention, air toxics, New/Innovative technologies, acid rain precursors, sulfur dioxide (SO2), catalysts, emissions control, treatment, air emissions, emission controls, TiO2, catalyst composition, control, sorbents, sulfur, emission control technologies, recovery, gaseous effluent streams, air pollutants, emissions contol engineering, pollution control technologies, recovery technologies, sulfur recovery, air pollution, acid rain, gas streams, sorbent technology, Sulfur dioxide, air pollution control

SBIR Phase I:

Pollution-Free Process for Surface Protection  | 1999 Progress Report  | Final Report