Tungsten modified by potassium doping and rhenium addition for fusion reactor applications

Low temperature brittleness, high ductile-to-brittle transition temperature (DBTT), and recrystallization-induced embrittlement are potential drawbacks related to the thermo-mechanical properties of tungsten (W) for application to the plasma facing materials of future fusion reactor divertors. To improve the thermo-mechanical properties of W, potassium (K) doping and rhenium (Re) addition have been applied as a dispersion-strengthening and a solid solution alloying methods, respectively. In this paper, the individual and synergistic effects of K-doping and Re-addition on the recrystallization behavior, tensile properties, and Charpy impact properties of W plate fabricated by powder metallurgy and hot rolling were investigated.