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Effect of Boron on Microstructure and Fracture of Sintered Ultrafine-Grained Tungsten

  • Recent Advances in Design and Development of Refractory Metals and Alloys
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Abstract

Ultrafine-grained tungsten shows strong potential for ballistic applications because of its increased strength, and higher propensity for strain localization compared with coarse-grained materials. However, tungsten typically exhibits poor ductility at room temperature and fractures by a brittle intergranular mechanism. This study evaluates the effects of boron as a sintering aid and grain-boundary strengthening additive for ultrafine-grained tungsten prepared by powder metallurgical methods. While boron did not improve the sinterability of nanocrystalline tungsten in this study, low concentrations of boron delivered a notable increase in strength, accompanied with a transition from intergranular to transgranular fracture. These significant changes in fracture behavior show promise for improving the low-temperature ductility of tungsten; however, the corresponding improvements to plastic strain to failure were less significant than anticipated.

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Acknowledgements

The authors sincerely thank Micah Gallagher, Judy Hays, and David Runk for assistance in powder processing, James Catalano for preparation of metallographic samples, Bradley Klotz for acquiring SEM micrographs, and Ajmer Dwivedi for assistance with mechanical testing. Additionally, this research was supported in part (J.P.) by an appointment to the Postgraduate Research Participation Program at the US Army Research Laboratory (USARL) administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education through an interagency agreement between the US Department of Energy (DOE) and USARL.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. U.S Army Research Lab, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, 21005, USA

    Brady G. Butler, Eric M. Klier, James D. Paramore & Daniel T. Casem

  2. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA

    Brady G. Butler & Kevin J. Hemker

  3. Post Irradiation Examination Department, Idaho National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1625, MS 6184, Idaho Falls, ID, 83415, USA

    Scott C. Middlemas

  4. Department of Metallurgical Engineering, University of Utah, 135 S. 1460 E., Room 412, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA

    James D. Paramore

  5. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA

    Kevin J. Hemker

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  1. Brady G. Butler
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  2. Scott C. Middlemas
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  3. Eric M. Klier
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Correspondence to Brady G. Butler.

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Butler, B.G., Middlemas, S.C., Klier, E.M. et al. Effect of Boron on Microstructure and Fracture of Sintered Ultrafine-Grained Tungsten. JOM 70, 2537–2543 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-018-3060-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-018-3060-4

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