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Sintering High Tungsten Content W-Ni-Fe Heavy Alloys by Microwave Radiation

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Abstract

This paper presents a detailed study of microwave (MW) sintering of W-Ni-Fe heavy alloys (WHAs) with tungsten (W) content 90 to 98 mass pct (Ni and Fe mass ratio of 7 to 3) in comparison with conventional (CV) hydrogen sintering. Experimental results show that WHAs were MW sintered to fully dense (≥99 pct of theoretical) when heated to sintering temperatures at a heating rate of 50 K/min to 80 K/min (50 °C/min to 80 °C/min) and isothermally held for 2 to 10 minutes, with sintering cycle times of only 25 to 35 minutes (excluding the cooling time). The desired microstructures of finer W grains, more matrix phases, and lower W contiguity (in 95W and 98W) were produced compared to the counterparts by CV sintering. Such microstructural features offered the alloys excellent tensile properties: ultimate tensile strengths (UTS) 1080 to 1110 MPa and tensile elongation 22.1 to 26.8 pct in 90 to 95W, and UTS 920 MPa and elongation 11.2 pct in 98W. MW sintering appeared to be more effective in fabricating WHAs with W content ≥95 pct. It was observed that the superior UTS with MW-sintered alloys was mainly due to the fast heating and shortened isothermal holding times. Prolonged sintering led to substantial grain coarsening as a result of faster tungsten grain growth in MW sintering, and consequently deteriorated the tensile properties. The grain growth rate constant K achieved was calculated to be 5.1 μm3/s for MW sintering compared to 2.9 μm3/s for CV sintering. Fast heating and short isothermal holding times are thus suggested for the fabrication of WHAs by MW sintering.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Hunan Provincial Innovation Foundation for Postgraduates (CX2010B045). The authors also would like to thank The Project Sponsored by the Scientific Research Foundation for the Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars, State Education Ministry [(2008) 890].

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Author notes

  1. Chengshang Zhou (Graduate Student)

    Present address: Department of Metallurgical Engineering, University of Utah, 135 S 1460 E Rm 412, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA

  2. Jianhong Yi (Professor)

    Present address: School of Material Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650093, P.R. China

  3. Shudong Luo (Post-Doctoral Research Fellow)

    Present address: School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, ARC Centre of Excellence for Design in Light Metals, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory for Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, P.R. China

    Chengshang Zhou (Graduate Student), Jianhong Yi (Professor) & Shudong Luo (Post-Doctoral Research Fellow)

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  1. Chengshang Zhou
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  2. Jianhong Yi
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  3. Shudong Luo
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Correspondence to Jianhong Yi.

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Manuscript submitted January 6, 2013.

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Zhou, C., Yi, J. & Luo, S. Sintering High Tungsten Content W-Ni-Fe Heavy Alloys by Microwave Radiation. Metall Mater Trans A 45, 455–463 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-013-1964-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-013-1964-8

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