The forming mechanism and thermal stability of W-Zr super-saturated solid solution powder prepared by mechanical alloying

In this paper, W-33.3 at% Zr super-saturated solid solution powder was prepared by mechanical alloying, and its formation mechanism and thermal stability were systematically studied. After 30 h of milling, 33.3 at% of Zr was completely dissolved in W, and a super-saturated solid solution with BCC structure was formed. When the milling duration was increased to 50 h, the single BCC phase was transformed into a dual-phase mixture with a super-saturated solid solution and an amorphous phase. Thermodynamic calculations based on Miedema theoretical model suggested that the W-33.3 at% Zr binary system tended to form solid solution first and then transform into amorphous. Furthermore, high resolution transmission electron microscopy observation revealed that grain refinement, lattice distortion and dislocation may play an important role in the process of solid solution expansion and amorphization. Finally, thermal stability tests suggested that the prepared super-saturated solid solution powder has shown good stability at 800 ℃ for 2 h, which provides more possibilities for the application of W-Zr metastable alloy powders.