Ta-Re synergistically strengthened high-strength and tough novel tungsten heavy alloy

Abstract

Enhancing both toughness and strength is a major challenge in alloy design, particularly in dual-phase W-Ni-Fe alloys. This study investigates the effects of tantalum (Ta) and rhenium (Re) on the mechanical properties of tungsten heavy alloys (WHAs). WHAs with various Ta and Re ratios were fabricated using powder metallurgy. The results show that the optimal amounts of Ta and Re significantly improve the overall properties of WHAs. Re formed a uniform solid solution in tungsten particles, refining the grain size to ∼10 μm, while nanoscale TaNi₃ (Ni–Ta intermetallic compounds) precipitates contributed to strengthening. The alloy's strength and toughness were synergistically enhanced through precipitation hardening, solid solution strengthening, and grain refinement. The ultimate tensile strength reached 1207 MPa, with an elongation of 30.25 %. This study offers a novel approach to improving the performance of WHAs.