Microstructure and mechanical properties of W-10 wt-%Ta alloys prepared by spark plasma sintering

• Published in: Materials science and technology Vol. 38; no. 3; pp. 159 - 168
• Main Authors: Liu, Wenyang, Huang, Yufeng, Wang, Yao, Zhang, Yong, Duan, Xinyun, Liu, Wensheng, Ma, Yunzhu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England Taylor & Francis 01.02.2022; SAGE Publications
• Subjects: brittleness; mechanical properties; tantalum; Tungsten solid solution; Tungsten solid solution; brittleness; tantalum; mechanical properties
• ISSN: 0267-0836; 1743-2847
• DOI: 10.1080/02670836.2021.2024947

The brittleness of tungsten (W) is a key factor that affects the preparation and application of high-performance tungsten alloys. Tantalum (Ta), which can form a complete solid solution with tungsten, was expected to improve its dislocation mobility and toughness. In the W-10 wt-%Ta alloys prepared by spark plasma sintering, the amount of Ta solid dissolved in tungsten increased gradually upon increasing the sintering temperature. The compressive strength of W-10 wt-%Ta alloys first increased and then decreased by increasing the sintering temperature. The solid solution of tantalum constructed a large number of defects and edge dislocations in the tungsten structure. This result is surprising because plastic flows are generally controlled by screw dislocations in Body-Centered Cubic (BCC) metals and dilute alloys.