Bulk nanocrystalline W-Ti alloys with exceptional mechanical properties and thermal stability

doi:10.1016/j.jmst.2021.11.015

Abstract

Abstract:

Nanocrystalline (NC) W metals and alloys often exhibit higher radiation tolerance and strength than their coarse-grained counterparts. However, their thermal stability is low, making it difficult to achieve bulk NC W metals and alloys by consolidation using conventional techniques such as pressure-less sintering, hot-explosive-compaction sintering, and spark plasma sintering. Here we report the synthesis and mechanical properties of bulk NC W_100-_xTi_x (x = 10 at.%-30 at.%) alloys prepared by consolidating mechanically alloyed NC powders under a high-temperature/high-pressure condition. Adding 20 at.%-30 at.% Ti largely improves the sinterability of NC W-Ti alloy powders. The room-temperature microhardness and compressive yield strength of consolidated bulk NC W₈₀Ti₂₀ alloy are ∼ 16.9 and 6.0 GPa, respectively, which are mainly caused by grain boundary strengthening and significantly higher than those of previously reported W and W alloys. The ultimate compressive strength of bulk NC W₈₀Ti₂₀ measured between 900 and 1100 °C deceases with increasing temperature. This behavior can be explained by the activation of Rachinger grain boundary sliding. No grain growth is observed in bulk NC W₈₀Ti₂₀ after compression at 1000 °C. Theoretical calculation suggests that it is the segregation of Ti at grain boundaries that decreases the specific grain boundary free energy and makes the NC W₈₀Ti₂₀ alloy thermodynamically stable.

Key words: Nanocrystalline, W-Ti alloys, Segregation, Grain boundary energy, Strength, Hardness

H.X. Xue, X.C. Cai, B.R. Sun, X. Shen, C.C. Du, X.J. Wang, T.T. Yang, S.W. Xin, T.D. Shen. Bulk nanocrystalline W-Ti alloys with exceptional mechanical properties and thermal stability[J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2022, 114: 16-28.

Figures/Tables 14

Fig. 1. XRD patterns of W100-xTix powders after MA for 24 h.

Fig. 2. Average grain size and lattice parameter versus Ti content for W100-xTix powders after MA for 24 h.

Fig. 3. Relative density of consolidated W100-xTix as a function of sintering temperature.

Fig. 4. XRD patterns of W100-xTix consolidated at 1100 °C.

Fig. 5. Bright-field TEM image of (a) W, (b) W90Ti10, (c) W80Ti20, and (d) W70Ti30 alloys sintered at 1100 °C. Insets showing the corresponding plots for the distribution of grain sizes.

Fig. 6. (a-c) HAADF-STEM images of a W80Ti20 alloy sintered at 1100 °C, with (b) corresponding to the yellow elliptical area in (a); (d-f) EDS mapping images of W, Ti, and W plus Ti, respectively, for image (c); (g) corresponding EDS concentration profiles of W and Ti measured from the EDS line scan performed along the red arrow shown in (c). Vertical dashed line represents the position of grain boundary.

Fig. 7. Vickers hardness of W100-xTix as a function of sintering temperature.

Fig. 8. Vickers hardness and grain size as a function of x for W100-xTix sintered at 1100 °C.

Table 1. Grain size and hardness of the present NC W80Ti20 and previously studied W and W alloys.

Materials	Process	Grain size (μm)	Hardness (GPa)	Refs.
W₈₀Ti₂₀	MA + HPS	0.042	16.9 ± 0.3	This work
W	Hot rolling	≥ 40	5.0 ± 0.15	[47]
W-1 wt% Zr-1 wt% ZrC	MA + SPS	2.76	5.3	[48]
W-0.5 wt%TiC	MA + HIP	0.071	11.6 ± 0.3	[49]
W-5 wt% Y₂O₃	MA + SPS	0.76	6.1 ± 0.07	[50]
W-4Ti/TiN	MA + SPS	0.62	9.1	[51]
W-2 wt% Ti-2 wt% La	PLS	≥ 1	7.2 ± 0.46	[25]
W-10 wt% Ti	PLS	-	4.4	[33]
W₈₃Ti₁₇	MA + HEC	10 - 20	5.1 ± 0.1	[34]
W₈₅Ti₁₅	MA + SPS	0.31	9.1	[35]
W-9.7 wt% Ti	soft chemical route + PLS	-	6.1 ± 0.2	[36]
W_0.5Cr_0.5	PLS	1.35	6.2 ± 0.9	[37]
W₈₀Ni₁₀Mo₁₀	PLS	-	8.58 ± 0.1	[38]
W-19. 9wt% Mo	thermal decomposition	4 - 6	5.4 ± 0.2	[39]

Fig. 9. Compressive stress-strain curves of the bulk NC W80Ti20 alloy tested at different temperatures.

Fig. 10. Temperature dependence of the ultimate compressive (solid symbols) or tensile (open symbols) strength of the present NC W80Ti20 alloy and previously reported W [47,48,57] and W alloys [[58], [59], [60], [61], [62], [63], [64], [65], [66], [67], [68]].

Fig. 11. (a) HAADF-STEM image of the bulk NC W80Ti20 alloy sintered at 1100 °C and compressed at 1000 °C, inset showing the plot for the distribution of grain size. (b-d) representing EDS mapping images of W, Ti, and W plus Ti, respectively.

Fig. 12. (a) Change in the free energy of segregation ΔGseg and (b) variation of normalized GB energy ($\gamma /{{\gamma }_{0}}$)versus the fraction of solute atoms on the GBs (${{X}^{\text{GB}}}$) of W-Ti alloys.

Fig. 13. Ln(σu2/T) versus 1/T for the NC W80Ti20 compressed between 900 and 1100 °C. Dashed line representing a linear fit based on Eq. (11).

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