Heterogeneous phase deformation in a dual-phase tungsten alloy mediated by the tungsten/matrix interface: Insights from compression experiments and crystal plasticity modeling

Tungsten heavy alloy (WHA) is a typical multiphase alloy material consisting of hard tungsten (W) and soft matrix (γ) phases. When loaded, the two phases deform quite differently due to the large difference in their mechanical properties. At present, our understanding of phase deformation and behavior in the multiphase context is relatively poor compared to the single phase case. Such insight is necessary, however, for the design of multiphase alloys having optimal phase microstructure and corresponding material behavior. By combining mechanical testing and crystal plasticity modeling, the relationship between phase microstructure and multiphase alloy deformation behavior is systematically investigated in this work. The results demonstrate that deformation in the W and γ phases is quite different and related to the contrast in material properties between the two phases. Deformation heterogeneity in the multiphase alloy is characterized by the strain gradient near/across the W/γ interface and differences in phase deformation states in relation to the contrast in phase material properties and phase volume fraction. It is found that dislocation pile-up and twinning are the main mechanisms mediating heterogeneous deformation in the region around W/γ interfaces. Based on this insight, a novel design strategy for multiphase alloys is proposed based on optimization of the contrast in phase mechanical properties and the phase volume fractions. This strategy can be employed to design new tungsten alloys and other multi-phase alloys.