Background Army Elastomer Material Technology

1. 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

2. Army Research Laboratory ARL EdgewoodChem-Bio Center ECBC Natick Soldier Center NSC Communicationsand ElectronicsRDEC CERDEC Tank-AutomotiveRDEC TARDEC ArmamentRDEC ARDEC Aviation and Missile RDEC AMRDEC US Army S&T Structure Infrastructure/ Environmental Strategic Defense Personnel Medical Materiel AMC SMDC G-1 MEDCOM USACE Medical Command Army Materiel Command U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Strategic Missile Defense Command Research, Developmentand Engineering Command DCG SOSI RDECOM STC

3. RDECOM RDE COMMAND 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

4. Director Army Research Office Dep. Director for Research Deputy Director Chief of Staff European Research Office Associate Directorfor PP&B Director’s Staff Far East Research Office Sensors &ElectronDevicesDirectorate Computational & Information Sciences Directorate Weapons &MaterialsResearchDirectorate HumanResearch &EngineeringDirectorate Survivability/LethalityAnalysisDirectorate Vehicle TechnologyDirectorate ARL Organization

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

6. Late 1980’s: • ARL develops hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR) compound. • HNBR-12 Patented: • Compound: US. Patent #4,843,114 (1989). • Process: US Patent #5.264,290 (1993) • HNBR rubber exceeds 2,000 miles, out performs all other track components. Track Elastomer Materials Early 1980’s: Early 1990’s: • Abrams M1 Main Battle Tank (MBT) is introduced (65 tons). • Durable life of Integral track/pad design (T-156) is only 900 miles. • Army issues a 2,000 mile track demand. • M1 is upgraded to M1-A1 model (70 tons). • Army develops T-158 track with replaceable pads, track and pads have a 2,000 mile durable life using standard rubber products. • HNBR-12 not cost effective.

7. Extend track Life up to 5,000 Miles HNBR Applied to FCS Bandtrack (under a PLA) • HNBR-base compound incorporated into FCS prototype band track system (ground tread layer). • M1-A1 upgraded to the M1-A2. • 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). HNBR Track Pad Elastomer Why Use HNBR? 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.

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

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

10. 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 B1.

11. List of Test Methods Performed

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

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

14. Other Applications-Band Track Construction Vehicles Agriculture Recreational