Abstract: In an electromagnetic rail gun launcher that includes a set of spaced-apart rails defining an inside bore for slidably receiving an armature-type projectile, with the rail gun and armature configured such that when powered up the projectile is forced from a breech of the rail gun toward a muzzle of the rail gun to then launch the projectile, the improvement wherein a lubricant reconditioning pad, containing a lubricant, is secured to the projectile in a location such that it contacts the rails. As the projectile moves through the bore, the pad cleans debris from, and applies lubricant to, the rails to thereby lubricate and recondition the rails during each shot.

Abstract: An electromagnetic rail gun launcher for launching an armature attached to a projectile includes a barrel, having a bore, and a body that includes a pair of main rails, a first pair of augmenting rails one of each lying outboard of and coextending with each of one of the main rails from the breech to the muzzle, a second pair of augmenting rails one of each lying outboard of and coextending with one of each of the first pair of augmenting rails, a first pair of electrically-conducting crossovers proximate to the breech and a second pair of electrically-conducting crossovers proximate to the muzzle and connected in series when the armature is positioned in the bore with power provided to the launcher. The exit speed of the projectile from the launcher is controlled by controlling the current to the launcher.

Abstract: The coating of a substrate with a coating different from and non-reactive with the substrate is improved by energetic surface alloying of the substrate prior to coating. The ion implantation alters the stoichiometry of the substrate, creating a substrate surface which is reactive with the coating. For example, the bonding of TiN to Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 is enhanced by implanting the substrate surface with Ti.

Abstract: A surface alloy is formed upon a solid alloy substrate by implanting ions to a heated solid substrate. By this method, for example, an Ti binary surface alloy may be formed upon a carbon steel. Also, this process allows solid-state gettering of selected minority solutes in alloys.