Investigating nickel and iron as the activator in W–Mo–Cu alloy sintered via large current electric field
摘要
W–Mo–Cu alloy is a novel and promising pseudo-alloy, yet their densification requires further optimization. In this research, W–Mo–Cu alloys with 1–5 wt.% Ni or Fe additives were fabricated using large current electric field sintering at 950 °C/25 MPa. The effects of Ni and Fe on the microstructure and properties of the W–Mo–Cu alloys were investigated. The results revealed that both Ni and Fe activated the sintering densification process of the W–Mo–Cu alloy. During the sintering process, Ni primarily reacted with Cu to form solid solutions and the intermetallic Cu0.81Ni0.19, while Fe and Cu exhibited only partial solubility. Ni demonstrated limited interaction with the W and Mo phases, whereas Fe interacted significantly with W and Mo phases, forming a carrier layer that sped up W and Mo diffusion, thereby facilitating the sintering densification of the W–Mo–Cu alloy. Consequently, Ni reduced the sintering activation energy of W–Mo–Cu alloys less effectively than Fe. Furthermore, the addition of an appropriate quantity of Ni or Fe enhanced the densification and hardness of the W–Mo–Cu alloy. However, the incorporation of Ni or Fe adversely affected the electrical conductivity of the W–Mo–Cu alloy.