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Selective Laser Melting of Tungsten-Rhenium Alloys

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Abstract

Additively manufactured tungsten-rhenium alloys have been compared with pure tungsten in terms of their volumetric density, cracking behavior, microstructure, and hardness. The compositions W-5 wt.%Re and W-25 wt.%Re were explored. Increasing the rhenium content led to an increasing percentage of the theoretical density, with a maximum of 97.6% achieved with 25 wt.% Re. The characteristic cracking behavior of pure tungsten was greatly mitigated for the W-25%Re composition. Electron backscatter diffraction revealed the effect of rhenium in both reducing the average grain size and leading to a more equiaxed grain geometry. Postprocessing heat treatments were explored to heal remaining cracks in W-25%Re samples, producing a more recrystallized microstructure geometry and increasing the density to 98.8% of theoretical and the tensile strength to 659.8 MPa.

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Data Availability

The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Materials and Manufacturing and Aerospace Systems directorates of the Air Force Research Laboratories for sponsorship of this research. The authors also thank the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) for the research associateship granted to C.E. The authors are indebted to Steve Glancy, Steven Adler, Edwin Schwalbach, and Eric Payton for much encouragement and enlightening discussions along the development of this material.

Funding

This research was supported by the Materials and Manufacturing and Aerospace Systems directorates of the Air Force Research Laboratories.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Air Force Institute of Technology, Dayton, USA

    Cayla C. Eckley, Ryan A. Kemnitz, Christopher P. Fassio & Carl R. Hartsfield

  2. Rhenium Alloys Inc., North Ridgeville, USA

    Todd A. Leonhardt

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  1. Cayla C. Eckley
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  2. Ryan A. Kemnitz
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Correspondence to Cayla C. Eckley.

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Eckley, C.C., Kemnitz, R.A., Fassio, C.P. et al. Selective Laser Melting of Tungsten-Rhenium Alloys. JOM 73, 3439–3450 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-021-04776-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-021-04776-x

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