Characterization, Processing, and Consolidation of Nanoscale Tungsten Powder

Abstract : Nanoscale tungsten powder was consolidated by the Plasma Pressure Compaction (P2C) method. The starting powder was first characterized to determine particle size, morphology, and presence of chemical impurities. The characterization data led to efforts to deagglomerate the as-received powder through milling and experiments into hydrogen reduction of oxygen present in the powder. After consolidation, densities of the resulting samples were measured, microstructural features (including grain size) were examined, and chemical analysis was carried out to detect the presence of impurities. The study concluded that it was possible to consolidate the nanocrystalline powder and maintain nano-sized grains. However, retention of initial grain size came at the expense of sample density.