Extraordinary high ductility/strength of the interface designed bulk W-ZrC alloy plate at relatively low temperature

The refractory tungsten alloys with high ductility/strength/plasticity are highly desirable for a wide range of critical applications. Here we report an interface design strategy that achieves 8.5 mm thick W-0.5 wt. % ZrC alloy plates with a flexural strength of 2.5 GPa and a strain of 3% at room temperature (RT) and ductile-to-brittle transition temperature of about 100 degrees C. The tensile strength is about 991 MPa at RT and 582 MPa at 500 degrees C, as well as total elongation is about 1.1% at RT and as large as 41% at 500 degrees C, respectively. In addition, the W-ZrC alloy plate can sustain 3.3 MJ/m(2) thermal load without any cracks. This processing route offers the special coherent interfaces of grain/phase boundaries (GB/PBs) and the diminishing O impurity at GBs, which significantly strengthens GB/PBs and thereby enhances the ductility/strength/plasticity of W alloy. The design thought can be used in the future to prepare new alloys with higher ductility/strength.