The Navy and Air Force have utilized general purpose bombs and penetrator warheads that traditionally have incorporated a high volatile organic compound (VOC) coating system for over thirty years. The U.S. Army Research Laboratory - Weapons and Materials Research Directorate (ARL-WMRD) established and executed a multi-phased R&D
program designed to develop an environmentally compliant alternative coating which would then be introduced into production of these munitions. The program consisted of a feasibility study, followed by test and evaluation, coatimgsystem design, and integration into the production lines. The cost and benefit of the alternative coating system was analyzed from many perspectives. The ARL-WMRD test matrix included all coatings representing the leading edge of technology that were commercially available. Thermal Arc Spray incorporating an 85/15 Zn/Al alloy was chosen as the best overall alternative coating system. This process provided far superior corrosion resistance effectiveness after initial capital investment. and mechanical properties while maintaining cost effectiveness after initial capital investment.