Mechanical properties of a novel tungsten fiber-reinforced tungsten composite prepared through powder extrusion printing and high-pressure high-temperature sintering

Abstract

Tungsten is one of the most promising candidate materials for plasma-facing materials (PFM) because of its high melting point, superior thermal conductivity, and low sputtering rate. However, its significant brittleness and high ductile-to-brittle transition temperature constrain its broader engineering applications. To address these limitations, we developed a novel tungsten fiber-reinforced tungsten (Wf//W) composite. This composite utilizes commercially available black tungsten wire mesh as the fiber reinforcement phase with a mass ratio of 1 %. The material was synthesized through a combined Powder Extrusion Printing and High-Pressure, High-Temperature sintering process, achieving a relative density exceeding 99 %. Additionally, the composite exhibits a maximum hardness of 589 ± 10 HV, attributable to the presence of high-density dislocations in the matrix. Its compressive strength reaches up to 1530 MPa, and the plastic deformation strain is as high as 15.8 %, both of which are outstanding compared to existing research. These findings offer an alternative route for producing high-density Wf//W materials, in addition to chemical vapor deposition method and powder metallurgy technique.

Keywords

• Tungsten
• Plasma-facing material
• Powder extrusion printing
• High-pressure and high-temperature sintering
• Compressive strength