Document Type

Thesis - University Access Only

Award Date

2010

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department / School

Mechanical Engineering

Abstract

This research stemmed from a task given to the South Dakota State University - Material Evaluation and Testing Laboratory (METLab) by the U.S. Army Benet Laboratory (ABL) in partnership with the Department of Defense (DOD). Explosively bonded gun tubes are used in many applications within the DOD, thus bond characterization is of great importance to help with quality control from manufacture; inspection before, during, and after barrel use; and ultimately assisting in estimation of remaining fatigue life. 1-1 Task Definition The goal of this research is to determine a non-:-destructive testing (NDT) method of inspection for explosively bonded gun tubes. Many factors contribute to the quality of bond between the steel major tube and tantalum alloy donor tube. Some of these parameters can easily be changed; however, it is not so easy to determine the affect this change has on the final bond properties. In order to hasten this feedback process, better inspection methods are required. First, it is necessary to determine what characteristics distinguish a good bond from a poor bond. These characteristics include, but are not limited to; donor tube residual stress prior to EB process, bonding interface width, tantalum alloy penetration depth into steel, material composition across the bonding interface, material hardness and modulus across the bonding interface, and ultrasonic acoustic energy interactions throughout the bonded region and the relationship between these techniques. Also, an experimental investigation of physical bond strengths of EB samples will be performed. Ultimately, the goal is to establish relationships of bonding quality and strength with ultrasonic inspection techniques, which are non-destructive and suitable for on-site inspection. This way, ultrasound methods could be used to inspect explosive bonds to aid in quality control from the manufacturer. Additionally, the technique could be used to periodically inspect gun tubes throughout their life in order to access the state of life.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Firearms -- Equipment and supplies -- Bonding
Nondestructive testing
Tantalum alloys
Steel

Format

application/pdf

Number of Pages

83

Publisher

South Dakota State University

Download

Share

COinS