Effect of Iron Additive on the Sintering Behavior of Hot-Pressed ZrC-W Composites
The ZrC-W composites with iron as sintering additive were fabricated by hot-press sintering. The densification, microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites were investigated. The incorporation of Fe beneficially promotes the densification of ZrC-W composites. The relative density of the composite sintered at 1900°C can attain 95.3%. W2C phase is also found in the ZrC-W composite sintered at 1700°C. The content of W2C decreases with the increase of sintering temperature. However, W2C phase is not identified in the composite sintered at 1900°C. The flexural strength and fracture toughness of the composites are strongly dependent on sintering temperature. The flexural strength and fracture toughness of ZrC-W composite sintered at optimized temperature of 1800°C are 438 MPa and 3.99 MPa·m1/2, respectively.