Microstructure and mechanical properties of intragranular W-Cu/TiC-ZrC composite prepared by reactive melt infiltration at 1300 °C
Highlights: • W-Cu/TiC-ZrC composites with nano W dispersoids were prepared by reactive melt infiltration. • The nano-sized dispersoids were analyzed by TEM in detail. • The intragranular nano W dispersoids and ribbon like precipitates have toughening effects. - Abstract: Newly intragranular W-Cu/TiC-ZrC composites with nano W dispersoids in TiC matrix have been prepared by reactive melt infiltration at 1300 °C for 1 h in vacuum using molten Zr-Cu binary alloys and a (Ti{sub 0.75},W{sub 0.25})C solid solution powder as raw materials. The as-synthesized composites consist of major phases of W, Cu, TiC and ZrC. With the decrease of Zr content from 66 to 21 at.% in the Zr-Cu infiltrator, the reaction formed W phase in the composite has changed from micron-sized intergranular grains to nano-sized rounded inclusions in TiC{sub y} grains. The crystallographic orientation relationship at W and TiC interfaces are detected as:(0 1 1-bar ){sub W}//(1 1 1-bar ){sub TiC}&[0 1 1]{sub W}//[0 1 1]{sub TiC} and (4 1 1){sub W}//(4 2 4){sub TiC}&[0 1 1-bar ]{sub W}//[4 2-bar 3-bar ]{sub TiC}. Nano-sized lamellar structure with both W and Cu rich is detected to have super-lattice structure based on the TiC lattice. The elastic modulus, flexural strength, fracture toughness of the intragranular W-Cu/TiC-ZrC composite infiltrated with Zr{sub 14}Cu{sub 51} melt are 207.5 GPa, 457 MPa and 10.21 MPa∙m{sup 1/2}, respectively. The intragranular nano W dispersoids and ribbon like precipitates hinder crack propagation via crack deflection and bridging.