SBIR-STTR Award

This small business Innovation Research Phase I proposal to the Department of Defense requests $80,000 for support for Magna-Tech P/M Labs to develop a carburizing process to optimize the corrosion resistance of nitrogen martensitic stainless steel. This proposal responds to Navy Topic Number N093-175 “Innovative Materials for Highly Loaded Wear Application in Arresting Gear Tailhook Components”. An additional $70,000 option to modify the thermal process to include carbonitriding of the surface would be requested. The thermal process will permit nitrogen martensitic stainless steels to sustain 200 hours in a marine environment while providing a wear resistant surface. Phase I activities include development of a low pressure vacuum carburization process to provide surface hardness of 58 HRC to a depth of 1 mm. The technology will prevent depletion of chromium from the grain boundaries of the steel, thereby improving the corrosion resistance. The process would be modified to permit nitriding as well as carburization as option. This adaptation would further improve corrosion resistance while providing improved surface wear resistance. A Phase II program would adapt the process developed to carburize prototype Navy arresting gear tailhook components, and establish a company to service military and commercial requirements.

Keywords:
Turbine Engines, Turbine Engines, Nitriding, Low Pressure Vacuum Carburizing, Bearings, Gears, Arresting Gear Tailhook Components, Corrosion Resistant Steels

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II proposal to the Department of Defense requests $749,982 for continuation of research and scale up of technology to carburize, nitride or carbonitride surfaces of tailhook shoes. The proposal is for continuation of work in Phase I Option Award N68335-10-C-0173, Innovative Materials for Highly Loaded Wear Applications in Arresting Gear Tailhook Components. The significance of this work is that processes have been developed for the surface modification of steels to provide excellent wear and corrosion resistance. The processes are resistant to impact and scuffing type abrasion encountered in arresting of aircraft. The hard, wear resistant surface would increase service life of tailhook assemblies at lower cost because, compared to today’s technology, the time and material cost to chemically modify the surface should be less than half. The processes have been developed, and the Phase II effort will be used to determine whether less expensive steels can be used, and to scale up to further reduce cost of the assemblies. The process employs high temperature to introduce carbon or nitrogen to the surface. Diffusion occurs and the carbon or nitrogen reacts with elements within the alloy to create a hard, wear and corrosion resistant surface.

Keywords:
Carburizing, Carburizing, Gear And Transmission Components, Carbonitriding, Nitriding, Stainless And Low Alloy Carburizing Steels, Wear Resistance, , Tail Hooks, Corrosion Res