Nanostructured yttria dispersion-strengthened tungsten synthesized by sol-gel method

Yttria dispersion-strengthened tungsten with both enhanced strength and ductility was synthesized through sol-gel method followed by sintering and high-temperature swaging. The sol-gel synthesis process involving a molecular-level doping leads to a unique nanostructure that Y2O3 nano-particles were homogeneously dispersed in tungsten grains interior. The nanosized Y2O3 particles in sol-gel synthesized W-1%Y2O3 are stable in size even under a high sintering temperature of 2300 °C. The swaged sol-gel W-1%Y2O3 show ductility at a relative low temperature of 250 °C, which is about 100 °C and 250 °C lower than that of spark-plasma-sintered sol-gel W-1%Y2O3 and ball-milling synthesized W-1%Y2O3, respectively. The sol-gel method provides a promising access to high-performance nanostructured tungsten materials with both high strength and ductility, and can be easily scaled for industrial production.