Effect of doped Lu₂O₃ on the microstructures and properties of tungsten alloy prepared by spark plasma sintering

Highlights: • Effect of doped Lu₂O₃ on microstructures and properties were investigated. • The doped Lu₂O₃ particles were detected at the grain boundary of the composite. • Lu₂O₃ particles had an effect in densifying and strengthening the composite. - Abstract: Pure tungsten and W–3 wt.% Lu₂O₃ samples were fabricated by spark plasma sintering at 1600 °C for 3 min from 4 h ball–milled powders. These samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive spectroscopy, Vickers microhardness, and thermal conductivity analyses. Results revealed that doped Lu₂O₃ particles influenced the densifying and strengthening of W–3 wt.% Lu₂O₃ composite compared with pure tungsten. The relative density and microhardness of pure tungsten were 93.49% and 446.4 Hv, and those for W–3 wt.% Lu₂O₃ samples were 96.21% and 551.7 Hv, respectively