Abstract

The effect of Mn on the densification and the microstructural change in W heavy alley was investigated with adopting the improved Mn-adding method. In order to avoid the pore formation problems associated with Mn powder mixing to the other constituent powders, Mn was added afterwards to the sintered heavy alloy; Mn powder was spread homogeneously on the surface of the sintered heavy alloy compact, and this Mn powder contained specimen was resintered at the same sintering temperature. As expected, the resintered specimen showed the pore free microstructure because Mn was reduced separately from the other constituent elements. It was also founded that W grains grew rapidly at the initial stage of resintering treatment due to the activated reprecipitation of the excess W atoms substituted by Mn atoms, but the growth rate of W grains was slowly lowered with the prolonged sintering time, especially, compared to the Mn free heavy alloy. Such a retardation of grain growth should be attributed to the decreased W solubility in the Mn contented matrix phase. Furthermore, Mn addition resulted in the decrease of contiguity by improving the wetting between matrix phase and W grain.