Crack suppression in additively manufactured tungsten by introducing secondary-phase nanoparticles into the matrix

In this study, an effective strategy was developed to suppress cracking by introducing secondary-phase ZrC nanoparticles into a tungsten (W) matrix. Pure W and W-0.5wt%ZrC bulks were additively manufactured via the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technique, and their cracking behaviour was compared. It was observed that the crack density of W-ZrC was reduced by 88.7% compared with that of pure W. The grains in W-ZrC were obviously refined compared with the grains in pure W, which significantly increased the cracking resistance. In addition, ZrC diminished the oxygen impurities, further increasing the cracking resistance. This study provides a promising strategy for the additive manufacturing of high-quality W by introducing secondary-phase nanoparticles into the metal matrix.