Nanotechnology and the Military

2 February 2007

Nanotechnology holds promise to create more advanced and refined weaponry in the military, according to a report about the work of scientists in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory. Armor-piercing projectiles, usually manufactured using uranium, could potentially be developed using a Nanocomposite material made of tungsten and glass. The need for replacing Uranium arises out of environmental concerns. Uranium emits radiation as it depletes, and can also create a toxic environment for soldiers who must stockpile the Uranium-based munitions.

A projectile needs to be more than environmentally friendly in order to function as an effective weapon, however. In particular, it needs to shear easily. Shearing means that upon impact, the projectile will gradually “sharpen itself” as layers of metal are stripped away and it becomes as pointed as a finely pointed spear. This is necessary for the weapon to forcefully penetrate enemy armor. These requirements have made high density Uranium ideal for ballistic applications.

However, scientists have found an effective substitute in the form of tungsten and metallic glass that can be used to build a projectile. Tungsten is slightly more dense than Uranium, and glass has been shown to shear more easily. However, composites made of tungsten and glass create a “mushroom head” effect upon impact, eliminating the propensity of the projectile to shear and thus nullifying its effectiveness. This is where Nanotechnology comes in.

Scientists have discovered that when the tungsten and glass are reduced to the Nanometer scale, they shear much more easily. Researchers have been able to create Nanoscale composites without having either the glass or the tungsten blend as alloys. Each element retains its property and the projectile shears effectively. Work continues in military applications of Nanotechnology and no doubt more discoveries will be unveiled in the near future.

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