Reactive wetting and infiltration of polycrystalline WC by molten Zr 2Cu alloy

Abstract

Good wettability with equilibrium contact angles of 41–28° was achieved for molten Zr2Cu alloy on dense polycrystalline WC substrates at 1050–1150 °C in an Ar atmosphere, favoring pressureless infiltration of the molten Zr2Cu alloy into a porous WC preform. Interfacial microstructure examination revealed that the Zr2Cu alloy reacted with WC, yielding W and ZrC at the interface through a solution–precipitation mechanism.