Abstract
The embrittlement of heavy metals of the type W96FeNi4 at phosphorus concentrations above 100 μg/g is a phenomenon of considerable scientific and technical interest. In order to obtain information on the cause of embrittlement the behaviour of phosphorus as a function of technological parameters, particularly the cooling rate after sintering, has to be investigated. By application of SIMS and TEM it could be shown that phosphorus segregates to the grain boundary tungsten-binder during cooling, and that segregation increases with decreasing cooling rate. By quantitative micro trace analysis with SIMS the solubility limit of P in W could be determined. TEM showed that microprecipitates of a typical diameter of 5 nm are formed in the binder phase during cooling. Larger precipitates in the range 100–1000 nm occur at the grain boundaries tungsten-binder. By electron diffraction with computerized evaluation of the patterns these precipitates could be identified as NiP2 phases. A major methodological result is that the combination of SIMS and TEM exhibits a great potential for the study of the influence of trace elements on material properties.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
