Chemical Synthesis and Oxide Dispersion Properties of Strengthened Tungsten via Spark Plasma Sintering

Highly uniform oxide dispersion-strengthened materials W-1 wt % Nd₂O₃ and W-1 wt % CeO₂ were successfully fabricated via a novel wet chemical method followed by hydrogen reduction. The powders were consolidated by spark plasma sintering at 1700 °C to suppress grain growth. The samples were characterized by performing field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy analyses, Vickers microhardness measurements, thermal conductivity, and tensile testing. The oxide particles were dispersed at the tungsten grain boundaries and within the grains. The thermal conductivity of the samples at room temperature exceeded 140 W/m·K. The tensile tests indicated that W-1 wt % CeO₂ exhibited a ductile-brittle transition temperature between 500 °C and 550 °C, which was a lower range than that for W-1 wt % Nd₂O₃. Surface topography and Vickers microhardness analyses were conducted before and after irradiations with 50 eV He ions at a fluence of 1 × 1022 m-2 for 1 h in the large-powder material irradiation experiment system. The grain boundaries of the irradiated area became more evident than that of the unirradiated area for both samples. Irradiation hardening was recognized for the W-1 wt % Nd₂O₃ and W-1 wt % CeO₂ samples.