Rhenium as a Hard Chrome Replacement for Gun Tubes

Abstract

Hard chrome plating processes expose workers to toxic chromium compounds and are under a federal mandate for replacement with more environmentally friendly processes. In addition, hard chrome as a gun bore coating does not provide acceptable performance when used with modern ammunition. Replacement coating materials to date have been considered as too expensive, do not meet performance requirements, or have processing temperatures that exceed heat treatment limits of the steel barrels. Low-temperature chemical vapor deposition applied rhenium coatings should solve the environmental issues and the cost-to-benefit problems while meeting performance expectations for modern medium and large caliber ammunition.