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Effect of ZrC nanopowder addition in WC preforms on microstructure and properties of W–ZrC composites prepared by the displacive compensation of porosity (DCP) method

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Abstract

In the present work, WC preforms with varied amounts of ZrC nanopowder (0–3.5 vol.%) were prepared using gel-casting base on nontoxic sodium alginate and then reactively infiltrated by molten Zr2Cu through displacive compensation of porosity method. The influence of ZrC nanopowder addition on the relative density, phase composition, microstructure, and properties of the final composites were investigated. The relative density, Vickers hardness, and flexural strength of the resulted composites prepared by reactive infiltration first increased and then decreased with increasing fraction of ZrC nanopowder in WC preforms. When the added fraction of ZrC nanopowder was 1.5 vol.%, the relative density, hardness, and flexural strength of the resulted composite reached their maximum values of about 97.3±  1%, 10.9±  0.3 GPa, and 503±  3 MPa, respectively. Fractography studies revealed that the fracture mode of composites was predominately intergranular. The W-ZrC composite was ablated by an oxyacetylene flame for 60 s. The mean value of mass and linear ablation rates of the composite were 2.1 ± 0.1 mg/s and 2.9 ± 0.3 μm/s, respectively. W-ZrC composites fabricated in complex and near net shapes at modest temperature and at ambient pressure by a reactive infiltration process can be utilized in aerospace applications.

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Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support from the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic (project VEGA1/0096/18).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Joint Glass Centre of the IIC SAS, TNUAD, and FChPT STU, FunGlass, Studentska 2, 91150, Trencin, Slovak Republic

    Aliasghar Najafzadehkhoee & Dusan Galusek

  2. Metallurgy and Materials Engineering Department, Engineering Faculty, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran

    Aliasghar Najafzadehkhoee, Ali Habibolahzadeh & Fathallah Qods

  3. FunGlass, Alexander Dubček University of Trenčín, Študentská 2, 911 50, Trenčín, Slovak Republic

    Maryam Vakhshouri & Dusan Galusek

  4. Łukasiewicz Research Network, Foundry Research Institute, Zakopiańska 73 Str., 30-418, Krakow, Poland

    Wojciech Polkowski

  5. Institute of Materials Research, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovak Republic

    Pavol Hvizdos

Authors
  1. Aliasghar Najafzadehkhoee
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  2. Ali Habibolahzadeh
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  3. Fathallah Qods
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  4. Maryam Vakhshouri
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  5. Wojciech Polkowski
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  6. Pavol Hvizdos
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  7. Dusan Galusek
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Correspondence to Aliasghar Najafzadehkhoee.

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Highlights

• W-ZrC composites were fabricated by reactive infiltration of Zr2Cu into porous WC/nano ZrC preforms.

• XRD results and SEM micrographs, and elemental maps indicated the uniform distribution of phases (W and ZrC) and elements (W, Zr, and C).

• SEM micrographs of the fracture surfaces revealed two modes of fractures in the composites, transgranular and intergranular, however, the fracture mode is predominately intergranular.

• The fabricated composites had flexural strength and hardness in the ranges of 458–503 MPa and 9.2–10.9 GPa, respectively.

• The mean value of mass and linear ablation rates of the composite were 2.1 ± 0.1 mg/s and 2.9 ± 0.3 μm/s, respectively.

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Najafzadehkhoee, A., Habibolahzadeh, A., Qods, F. et al. Effect of ZrC nanopowder addition in WC preforms on microstructure and properties of W–ZrC composites prepared by the displacive compensation of porosity (DCP) method. J Aust Ceram Soc 57, 515–523 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41779-020-00538-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41779-020-00538-1

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