Study on the annealing and three-point bending fracture behavior of single W fiber-reinforced W composites with multiple interfaces prepared by CVD

The inherent brittleness of tungsten severely limits its application as plasma-facing materials (PFMs). Tungsten fiber (Wf) reinforced tungsten (W) composites (Wf/W) offer a promising toughening approach for tungsten. However, this toughening method faces significant challenges, such as how to optim...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Chuan Wu, Youping Lu, Juan Du, Pan Wen, Jun Tang, Tianyu Zhao, Jiming Chen, Pinghuai Wang, Xiang Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Nuclear Materials and Energy
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352179125000948
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Summary:The inherent brittleness of tungsten severely limits its application as plasma-facing materials (PFMs). Tungsten fiber (Wf) reinforced tungsten (W) composites (Wf/W) offer a promising toughening approach for tungsten. However, this toughening method faces significant challenges, such as how to optimize the interface strength and preventing damage to the fiber-reinforced structure. In this study, four types of interfaces (Y, Cr, Y2O3, and YSZ) were prepared using magnetron sputtering technology, followed by the fabrication of single Wf-reinforced W composites via chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The fracture behavior of the Wf/W composite before and after the annealing process was investigated through three-point bending tests. The results indicate that the interfaces including yttrium (Y), yttrium oxide (Y2O3), and yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) all exhibit weak binding strength, leading to interface debonding during the three-point bending test and resulting in ductile fracture behavior for the composite. In contrast, the chromium (Cr) interface displays a high binding strength and lead to brittle fracture behavior for the composite. After annealing at 1000 °C, the binding strength of Y2O3 and YSZ interfaces increases, which causes the brittle fracture behavior of the composite. After annealing at 1600 °C, the Cr interface diffused into the Wf and caused the recrystallization of the Wf. The Y interface underwent melting and solidification, leading to a decrease of the binding strength. The interface strength ranks as follows: Cr > YSZ > Y2O3 > Y.
ISSN:2352-1791