Research on the preparation and shielding properties of W–Ni–Fe alloy material by liquid phase sintering

ABSTRACT

Traditional and single shielding material has not satisfied the demand for radiation protection. Shielding materials with a good comprehensive performance have attracted attention. W–Ni–Fe alloys with different Ni/Fe ratios have been prepared through liquid phase sintering using W, Ni and Fe elementary powders. The microstructure, morphology and fracture appearance of such prepared W–Ni–Fe alloys with different Ni/Fe ratios were analysed with the SEM and metallographic test. The effects of the Ni/Fe ratio on the density, microhardness, tensile strength and shielding efficiency were investigated. The results show that for W–Ni–Fe alloys with different Ni/Fe ratios, the alloy surfaces are composed of ellipsoidal W particles on a Ni–Fe substrate. However, when the Ni/Fe ratio is 7:3, uniform and spherical W crystals are embedded in the Ni–Fe substrate and evidently form dense boundaries, which contribute to the good mechanical properties and shielding effect of the alloy.

KEYWORDS:

• W–Ni–Fe series alloy
• liquid phase sintering
• microstructure
• mechanical properties
• shielding effect

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge the funding by the Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province with the project number 2015JJ5023; Science and Technology Major Hunan Province with the project number 2012FJ1007; Outstanding Young project in Hunan Province Department of Education with the project number 5B206.