Development of Silicon Carbide Fiber Reinforced Tungsten Composites with Enhanced Fracture Toughness

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Tungsten is a primary candidate material for divertor and first wall of nuclear fusion reactor. A tungsten material is expected to be used at high temperature due to its extremely high melting point. However mechanical properties of tungsten degrade at high temperature due to recrystallization of pure tungsten above 1000C. Neutron irradiation also affects mechanical properties significantly. The objective of this work is to develop a tungsten material with ductile behavior under high temperature neutron irradiation environment. Silicon carbide has very close coefficient of thermal expansion with tungsten. Silicon carbide fibers can be used at above 1000C under neutron irradiation. Silicon carbide was selected as reinforcement of tungsten to have ductility under the sever environment. Novel tungsten composites reinforcement with silicon carbide fibers were developed.