Enhanced ductility of WMoCu alloy through the formation of nanometer-to-micrometer-thick dual-phase transition phase layer

Highlights: • Successfully prepared a new kind of WMoCu alloy with transition phase between the W particles and Cu matrix • Both the amorphous and nanocrystalline phases are formed in the transition phase layer. • The formation process of the transition phase interfacial layer is elaborated. • Improve the tensile ductility of the WMoCu alloy due to the formation of the transition phase -- Abstract: Adding an appropriate interfacial layer is a viable way to decrease the WW contiguity and enhance the interfacial bonding of WCu alloy simultaneously, hence increase the tensile ductility. In this regard, we prepared a new kind of WMoCu alloy with transition phase (TP) existing between W particles and Cu matrix using infiltration method. The TP consisting of amorphous and nanocrystalline structure is formed between the W particles and the Cu matrix. The formation of the TP simultaneously decreases the WW contiguity and enhances bonding with both W particles and Cu matrix, leading to the good tensile ductility of the WMoCu alloy. The underlying formation mechanism of the TP is thoroughly studied. The WMoCu alloy exhibits excellent ductility under both compressive and tensile loading at room temperature. Under the quasi-static tensile loading, the critical failure strain of the WMoCu alloy is 0.18. Our analysis demonstrates that a strong bonding is formed between the TP and the adjacent phases.