Development of ODS tungsten heavy alloys reinforced with Co9Al8W superalloy binder by mechanical alloying

In the present study, the Co9Al8W superalloy was used as a binder phase for a new tungsten heavy alloy (WHA). The effects of the binder phase, nano-Y2O3 oxides, and mechanical alloying on the microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of the model WHAs were investigated. The results demonstrate that the presence of the Co9Al8W binder phase can stabilize the formation of solid phase during sintering. The dispersed oxide particles can interact with the Al element and form complex nanoscale Al-Y-O oxides, which greatly refine the microstructure, resulting in a significant impact on mechanical properties of the alloys. However, the porous microstructure related to Al-rich oxides and pores was obtained in the alloys, which caused the formation of micro-cracks, resulting in the loss of material ductility. (C) 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

In this study, the Co9Al8W superalloy was used as a binder phase for a new tungsten heavy alloy (WHA). The effects of the binder phase, nano-Y2O3 oxides, and mechanical alloying on the microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of the model WHAs were investigated. The presence of the Co9Al8W binder phase stabilized the formation of solid phase during sintering. The interaction between dispersed oxide particles and the Al element resulted in the formation of complex nanoscale Al-Y-O oxides, which refined the microstructure and significantly influenced the mechanical properties of the alloys. However, the alloys exhibited a porous microstructure due to the presence of Al-rich oxides and pores, leading to the formation of micro-cracks and reduced material ductility.