Unclassified US Army Research Laboratory Weapons and Materials

Unclassified US Army Research Laboratory Weapons and Materials Research Directorate Materials & Manufacturing Sciences Division Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD Background Army Elastomer Material Technology Charles Pergantis Phone: (410) 306 -0688 E-Mail: charles. g. pergantis@us. army. mil Unclassified

Unclassified US Army S&T Structure Personnel G-1 Medical Materiel Infrastructure/ Environmental Strategic Defense Medical Command Army Materiel Command U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Strategic Missile Defense Command MEDCOM AMC USACE SMDC DCG SOSI Research, Development and Engineering Command RDECOM STC Army Research Laboratory Edgewood Chem-Bio Center Natick Soldier Center Communications and Electronics RDEC Tank-Automotive RDEC Armament RDEC Aviation and Missile RDEC ARL ECBC NSC CERDEC TARDEC AMRDEC Unclassified

Unclassified RDECOM Get the Right Technologies in the Hands of Warfighters Quicker Integrated Product Teams and Working Groups • Robotics IPT • Countermine IPT • Lethality IPT • Network IPT • Power and Energy IPT • Supportability/Maneuver Sustainment IPT • Survivability IPT • Nanotechnology Working Group • Biotechnology Working Group Unclassified

Unclassified ARL Organization Director Chief of Staff Deputy Director Dep. Director for Research Army Research Office European Research Office Associate Director for PP&B Director’s Staff Sensors & Electron Devices Directorate Computational & Information Sciences Directorate Far East Research Office Weapons & Materials Research Directorate Human Research & Engineering Directorate Unclassified Survivability/ Lethality Analysis Directorate Vehicle Technology Directorate

Unclassified ARL’s Relevance to the Army Transformation Networks Protection ● Information Sciences ● Network Sciences ● Battlefield Environment ● Advanced Computing and Computational Sciences ● Materials and Manufacturing Science for Protection ● Vehicle Protection ● Individual Warfighter Protection Lethality Mobility and Logistics ● Energetic Materials and Propulsion ● Projectiles, Warheads and Scalable Effects ● Materials and Manufacturing Science for Lethality ● Affordable Precision Munitions ● Advanced Weapons Concepts ● Platform Mechanics ● Vehicle Propulsion ● Autonomous Systems ● Reliability Sensors ● ● ● Human Dimension ● Soldier Sensory-Cognitive Motor Performance ● Neuroergonomics ● Social-Cognitive-Cultural Networks ● Human Robotic Interaction ● Human Systems Integration Power and Energy WMRD Contributions to Team ARL Survivability/Lethality Analysis ● Ballistic Vulnerability/Lethality ● Electronic Warfare ● Information Assurance and Computer Network Defense ● Systems of Systems RF Technologies Electronics Technologies EO/IR Technologies Non-Imaging Technologies Sensor Processing ● ● ● Extramural Basic Research Chemistry ● Materials Sciences Physics ● Mechanical Sciences Life Sciences ● Mathematics Network Science ● Computing Science Environmental ● Electronics Sciences Unclassified ● Power Generation and Conversion ● Energy Storage ● Power Control and Distribution ● Thermal Management ● Energy Science Simulation & Training ● ● Intelligent learning Virtual Interfaces & Synthetic Env. Advanced Distributed Simulation Training Application Env.

Unclassified Track Elastomer Materials Early 1980’s: Late 1980’s: Early 1990’s: • Abrams M 1 Main Battle Tank (MBT) is introduced (65 tons). Ø Durable life of Integral track/pad design (T-156) is only 900 miles. Ø Army issues a 2, 000 mile track demand. • ARL develops hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR) compound. • HNBR-12 Patented: Ø Compound: US. Patent #4, 843, 114 (1989). Ø Process: US Patent #5. 264, 290 (1993) • HNBR rubber exceeds 2, 000 miles, out performs all other track components. Unclassified • M 1 is upgraded to M 1 -A 1 model (70 tons). Ø Army develops T-158 track with replaceable pads, track and pads have a 2, 000 mile durable life using standard rubber products. Ø HNBR-12 not cost effective.

Unclassified HNBR Track Pad Elastomer Why Use HNBR? Extend track Life up to 5, 000 Miles HNBR Applied to FCS Bandtrack Benefits: • • Outstanding wear properties. Improved Resistance to tearing, blow-out, heat aging chunking/chipping, cutting and flexural fatigue. Superior physical properties. Retention of mechanical and dynamic properties at high temperatures. Resistance to DS-2 Does not support combustion, self extinguishing. Reduced O&S cost Over twice the service life of commercial materials. (under a PLA) • M 1 -A 1 upgraded to the M 1 -A 2. • Up to a 5, 000 mile track life is required with one “change over”, well over the durable limit of current standard production pads. • HNBR-42 has been formulated, pads fabricated and await field test data results from Yuma Proving Grounds (YPG). Unclassified • HNBR-base compound incorporated into FCS prototype band track system (ground tread layer).

Unclassified HNBR Elastomer Data ● HNBR compounds exceeds the tensile strength of the current standard SBR pad material. ● HNBR compounds exhibit comparable elongation as SBR pads. Unclassified

Unclassified HNBR Elastomer Data ● HNBR compounds exhibit better tear strength than SBR, even after aged at 250 F. ● HNBR compounds exhibit greater resistance to crack growth than SBR. Unclassified

Unclassified HNBR Elastomer Data ● HNBR compounds exhibit tremendous abrasion resistance compared to SBR. ● New modified HNBR formulation was patented in July 2010 Patent No. US 7, 737, 225 B 1. Unclassified

Unclassified List of Test Methods Performed Unclassified

Commercial Spin-Offs Unclassified Technology Transfer Tank track pads to…. X-Durable Athletic Shoe Soles Improved Long-Wear Tire Treads for WDW Utility Carts HNBR Based Rubber: 1. “Waffle rubber” samples molded to evaluate performance. 2. Prototype athletic shoe soles molded, bonded to shoes and field tested by Olympian athletes. Test Plate Experimental Wear Soles HNBR based rubber tested for long-wear tire treads for Walt Disney World utility carts. Unclassified

Unclassified Other Applications Current HMMWV Tire with RFTI Pads for Ultra-High Performance Track Improved Run-Flat Wheel Tread Wear Resistant Tread for Airless Tires Unclassified New Poly-Web RFTI

Unclassified Other Applications-Band Track Construction Vehicles Agriculture Recreational Unclassified