Room temperature ductile W-Y2O3 alloy with high thermal shock resistance

The microstructure and mechanical properties of tungsten (W) materials have strong influences on their thermal shock performance. In this work, a W-Y2O3 (0.14 wt% Y) alloy with bimodal grain structure was fabricated by swaging plus high energy rate forging of the hydrogen sintered compact. In tensile tests, the W alloy exhibits a high yield strength (σY = 1400 MPa) and a plastic strain ε = 5.5% at room temperature, and extensive tensile strains exceeding 20% at 100–300 °C. Its thermal shock performance was assessed by applying cyclic edge localized mode-like long heat pulse for 100 times at room temperature with an electron beam equipment. Within the range 0.44–1.1 GW m−2, the specimens are free of cracking, and the surface modifications change from shear step-like bulges to recrystallization with increasing absorption power density.