1. Background Army Elastomer Material Technology
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)
Unclassified

2. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Research, Development and Engineering
US Army S&T Structure
Infrastructure/
Environmental
Strategic Defense
Personnel
Medical
Materiel
G-1
MEDCOM
Medical
Command
AMC
Army Materiel
Command
USACE
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
SMDC
Strategic Missile
Defense Command
Research, Development and Engineering
Command
DCG
SOSI
RDECOM
STC
Start at the top of food chain…..this chart……ARL provides scientific and technical underpinnings and works in close coordination with other RDECOM organizations.
RDECOM a new organization effective May 2003, 2-star Doesburg is provisional but permanent soon
ARL works closely with sister organizations to provide science, technology and analysis
Army
Research
Laboratory
ARL
Edgewood Chem-Bio
Center
ECBC
Natick Soldier
NSC
Communications and Electronics RDEC
CERDEC
Tank-Automotive RDEC
TARDEC
Armament RDEC
ARDEC
Aviation
and Missile
RDEC
AMRDEC

3. RDECOM
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
RDE COMMAND

4. ARL Organization Sensors & Electron Devices Directorate
Computational & Information Sciences Directorate
Weapons & Materials Research Directorate
Human Research & Engineering Directorate
Survivability/ Lethality Analysis Directorate
Vehicle Technology Directorate
Chief of Staff
Director’s Staff
Army Research Office
European Research Office
Far East Research Office
Director
Deputy Director
Dep. Director for Research
Associate Director for PP&B

5. ARL’s Relevance to the Army 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. Track Elastomer Materials
Early 1980’s:
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.
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. HNBR Track Pad Elastomer
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).
Extend track Life up to 5,000 Miles
Why Use HNBR?
HNBR-base compound incorporated into FCS prototype band track system (ground tread layer).
HNBR Applied to
FCS Bandtrack
(under a PLA)
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. Commercial Spin-Offs Technology Transfer Tank track pads to….
X-Durable Athletic Shoe Soles
HNBR Based Rubber:
“Waffle rubber” samples molded to evaluate performance.
Prototype athletic shoe soles molded, bonded to shoes and field tested by Olympian athletes.
Test Plate
Experimental
Wear Soles
HNBR based rubber tested for long-wear tire treads for Walt Disney World utility carts.
Improved Long-Wear Tire Treads for WDW Utility Carts

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

14. Construction Vehicles
Other Applications-Band Track
Construction Vehicles
Agriculture
Recreational