Low-VOC
Coatings for Medium
Caliber Ammunition
Project Number: J-98-OC-013
Air Force, Army, Marine Corps,
and Navy use a number of different ammunition types with various weapon
systems. Ammunition must be marked so that end users can readily distinguish
the difference between different ammunition types of the same size, such
as target practice vs. high explosive. This identification is often achieved
by use of paint coatings of different colors. In addition, coatings for
medium caliber ammunition must aid in protecting the ferrous projectile
materials against corrosion. In applying high-VOC
coatings to medium caliber ammunition, significant amounts of VOCs
must be treated and/or disposed to prevent release to the atmosphere.
The JG-PP
Low-VOC
Coatings for Medium Caliber Ammunition project was intended to reduce or
eliminate VOCs
released from the process of painting 20-mm,
25-mm,
and 30-mm
projectile bodies. Stakeholders for the JG-PP
project pursuing alternatives to high-VOC
coatings included ammunition manufacturers and painters, government purchasing
managers, DoD
ammunition experts, program managers for DoD
weapons, and the laboratory owners of existing military specifications for
ammunition coatings.
A JTP,
dated April 11, 2000, documents the validation test requirements. Project
stakeholders have selected three candidate alternative coatings to be tested
in accordance with the JTP:
- Two waterborne coatings:
- KEM AQUA® enamel from Sherwin-Williams
- TioTech® 40 from Tioga Coatings and
- One high-solids UV-curable
liquid coating:
- KS-5 from Ecology Coatings.
Phase I testing began in August 2000 and was completed in July 2001. For the coatings that passed the laboratory testing of Phase I, Phase II testing was planned to further test these coatings on common projectile bodies and cartridges to evaluate simulated field performance. However, upon completion of the Phase I testing, a consensus among the stakeholders could not be reached as to the next proper course of action, including which coatings had actually passed/met the phase I criteria and should be advanced to phase II testing.
In addition, a substantial change within one of the primary OEMs operation put into question the overall need for the project to continue. With General Dynamics' move of their paint line from California to Pennsylvania, where the emissions standards are less strict, they no longer had a pressing need for an alternative. Based on these and other project issues, the Army made a request for the project to be closed at the JWG teleconference held March 5, 2002. At that meeting the JWG agreed with the recommendation and issued and action for the completion of a Project Closeout Report to document all testing activities and results, lessons learned and recommendations, in an effort to reduce duplicate efforts, should the project be reopened at a later date.
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Project Matrix and Points of Contact Meeting and Teleconference Summaries Project Summary |
This site last updated February 28, 2008.
Send all questions and comments to jgpp@ctc.com