News

Titanium: an indispensable material for weapons

Titanium alloy has been widely used in the weapons industry and has become an indispensable material. With titanium, weapons are like adding wings to a tiger, showing even more remarkable abilities. Titanium alloy weapons are not only lightweight and have good maneuverability, but also have increased power, making them particularly suitable for airborne and assault forces. Titanium alloy mortar base plates are more than 50% lighter than steel plates. Titanium alloy is a superior material for manufacturing mortar tubes, base plates, gun barrels, gun mounts, etc. It is also a good material for preparing protective clothing and helmets.

Since the industrial production of titanium and titanium alloys in the mid-1940s, the United States and the Soviet Union have been paying attention to and researching their applications in weapons. The Watertown Arsenal in the United States has done a lot of pioneering work on the application of titanium alloys in weapons, making it the largest and most advanced unit in the world to study the application of titanium alloys in the field of weapons. In 1955, the US weapons industry used 57 tons of titanium, 281 tons in 1961, 1040 tons in 1971, and is estimated to have reached 2100 tons by 2020. Due to non war periods, the growth rate is not fast.

Application in artillery

Titanium and titanium alloys are important materials for manufacturing artillery structural components, and have been applied in some world-renowned artillery since the 1950s. The barrel, chamber, nozzle, and firing piston of the M28 120mm Crockett recoilless gun manufactured in the United States in 1950 are forged and extruded from Ti-6Al-6V-2Sn-0.5Fe-0.5Cu alloy. The total weight of the gun is 68kg, which is 34.9% lighter than the 104.4kg of the steel gun. After splitting, five people can easily carry it. In 1961, mass production began, equipped with infantry battalions, paratrooper battalions, mechanized infantry battalions, tank battalions, and airborne divisions, with small volume, light weight The advantages include high power, high mobility, and easy camouflage. TI-6Al-6V-2Sn-0.5Fe-0.5Cu is a type of（ α+β） The mechanical properties of the annealed alloy are as follows: tensile strength of 1098 MPa, yield strength of 1030 MPa, elongation of 13%, reduction of area of 37%, and Brinell hardness of 34.

In the 1970s, Ti-6Al-4V-2Sn titanium alloy was used to manufacture the gun barrel, and Ti-6Al-4V, Ti-7Al-4Mo, and Ti-5Al-1.5Fe-1.4Cr-1.2Mo titanium alloys were used to manufacture the chamber, nozzle, and firing piston. The total weight of the gun was only 49kg, and four people could resist running forward. After using titanium alloy for the tail frame and gun frame of the T66 76mm gun, it is 93.55kg lighter than steel, only 142.9kg. The titanium alloy frame of the cannon is 42% lighter than steel. Afterwards, the United States used industrial pure titanium to manufacture the base plate of the T227 81mm mortar, which was 50% lighter than steel plates and only 10.9kg. The gun's plug is also made of titanium alloy, used to connect the barrel and base plate. Hundreds of tests were conducted on the ground and gravel ground, all of which achieved good results. After the T227 81mm mortar was replaced with a titanium base plate, its mass decreased to 34kg and its range increased to 4500m, while the steel gun had a mass of 42.25kg and a range of 3600m. Not only did it reduce its mass by 20% and increase its range, but it also greatly improved its maneuverability.

After Japan's 155mm pursuit gun base plate was changed to Kobe Steel's titanium alloy, the quality decreased by about 50%. It was welded with 5mm and 8mm Ti-6Al-4V alloy plates, and the test showed that the welding quality was good and could fully meet the needs of combat. The 100mm mortar base plate made of TA7 alloy with integral stamping is 10kg lighter than steel in Japan. It was designed and finalized in 1981 and produced in 1983. The body, base, and support of the 82mm mortar installed in 1984 were replaced with titanium alloy, which is 16.6kg lighter than steel.

On January 31, 2007, the US Army Times reported that the 155mm M777 new howitzer was the first ground combat system made of titanium alloy, approximately 3150kg lighter than the phased out M198 artillery, with a weight reduction of nearly 50%. The decline in the quality of artillery systems has not affected their range and accuracy, but their mobility has greatly improved.

Helmets, bulletproof vests, and other equipment

The use of Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-5Al-2.5Sn titanium alloy spinning M-1 standard helmets in the United States from 1959 to 1961 was unsuccessful. Later, Ti-4Al-3Mn titanium alloy and explosive forming technology were used successfully, with a mass of only 0.794kg-1.02kg. In terms of bulletproof effect, titanium helmets are the same as steel helmets, but they are 0.45kg lighter than standard steel helmets.

The United States uses a 25.4mm thick plate made of 10 layers of nylon and 1 layer of Ti-5Al-2.5Sn titanium alloy sheet to manufacture bulletproof vests. Its weight is only 3.86kg, which can withstand shells, grenades, and landmine debris, but cannot withstand 7.62mm bullets.

The muzzle brake of the 152mm double barreled self-propelled gun of the Russian Federation is made of titanium alloy. It has two barrels that are used alternately during firing, with fast firing speed and strong firepower, reaching 15-18 rounds per minute; Flexible and agile, with strong off-road capabilities and strong survivability.

China has been researching the application of titanium alloys in weapon manufacturing since the 1970s, with significant results. Using TC9 titanium alloy to manufacture the anti tank missile servo and frame, it is a Ti-0.2Pd α Alloy, applied in annealed state; The Type 85 anti-aircraft machine gun brake made of TC4 titanium alloy achieved very good results. Later, the use of precision cast ZTC4 alloy instead of TC4 alloy extruded rods achieved better results. The material utilization rate increased from 18% to 94%, and a large amount of cutting and processing costs were saved, killing two birds with one stone. TC4 is a commonly used Ti-6Al-4V alloy with excellent performance, α+β Type, applied in the annealed state. The range of the titanium based lightweight flamethrower can reach 70m, making it a close range light weapon that is more than 3kg lighter than steel. It can be made of industrial pure titanium, Ti-3Al-2.5V and other alloys.

[ 上一页 ] What preparations ...[ 下一页 ] Application of TA1...