Applications of advanced ceramic materials
Applications in High-Speed Aircraft
High-speed aircraft are strategic equipment that major military powers are vying to develop. Their supersonic flight and sharp structures lead to serious aerodynamic heating problems. The typical thermal environment for high-speed aircraft involves high temperatures and complex, harsh thermo-mechanical loads. Existing high-temperature alloys can no longer meet the requirements, leading to the emergence of ceramic matrix composites. In particular, SiCf/SiC composite ceramic materials have been widely used in hot structural components such as turbine blades, nozzle guide vanes, and turbine outer rings of aero-engines. Their composite material density is approximately 1/4 that of high-temperature alloys, resulting in significant weight reduction. Furthermore, they can operate at temperatures up to 1400°C, greatly simplifying cooling system design and enhancing thrust.
Applications in Lightweight Armor
Lightweight composite armor is crucial for maintaining the survivability of modern equipment. The development of ceramic fibers and fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composites is fundamental to the application of lightweight composite armor. Currently, the main protective ceramic materials used include B4C, Al2O3, SiC, and Si3N4. Silicon carbide ceramics, with their excellent mechanical properties and cost-effectiveness, have become one of the most promising bulletproof ceramic materials. Their diverse applications in various armor protection fields, including individual soldier equipment, army armored weapons, armed helicopters, police and civilian special vehicles, give them broad application prospects. Compared to Al2O3 ceramics, SiC ceramics have a lower density, which is beneficial for improving equipment mobility.
Applications in Small Arms
Small arms, as an important component of weaponry, generally include pistols, rifles, machine guns, grenade launchers, and special individual equipment (individual rocket launchers, individual missiles, etc.). Their main function is to launch projectiles to the target area to kill or destroy enemy targets. The operating conditions of small arms include high temperature, low temperature, high altitude, humid heat, dust, rain, dust-rain, salt spray, and immersion in river water. Corrosion resistance is crucial. Currently, the main anti-corrosion processes for small arms include bluing, hard anodizing, ion-controlled penetration technology, diamond-like carbon coatings, and plasma nitriding. Especially for weapons and equipment used in marine environments, the requirement for corrosion resistance in salt spray environments for more than 500 hours poses a significant challenge to traditional coating treatments.
Applications in Gun Barrels
The gun barrel is a core component of projectile weapons. The internal structure of the gun barrel includes the chamber, the forcing cone, and the rifling, with the chamber and rifling connected by the forcing cone. Traditional gun barrels are generally made of high-strength alloy steel. During firing, the inside of the gun barrel is subjected to the combined effects of propellant gases and projectiles, leading to cracks and coating detachment on the inner wall of the barrel. The damage to the gun barrel’s bore is a result of the repeated action of high-temperature, high-pressure, and high-velocity propellant gases and projectiles on the barrel wall. The forcing cone and the muzzle are usually the first parts to fail.
To improve gun barrel life, chromium plating of the bore is the most common method, but the oxidation resistance temperature of the chromium plating layer does not exceed 500°C. With the continuous increase in chamber pressure during firing and the exponential increase in gun barrel life requirements, the pressure and temperature borne by the gun barrel are also increasing. Utilizing the high hardness, high strength, and high-temperature chemical inertness of ceramics can effectively reduce gun barrel erosion and extend its service life.
Applications in Ammunition
The main components of ammunition are the warhead and the fuze. As the most direct component for causing damage, the warhead mainly consists of the casing, fragmentation elements, explosive charge, and fuze. Continuously improving the lethality of the warhead has always been a goal pursued in weapon development. Especially for area-effect grenades, the fragments produced by the warhead explosion are the terminal killing elements, and efficient fragmentation technology has always been a research challenge in this field.