The influence of tungsten alloying on the mechanical properties of tantalum

In mechanical tests of tantalum-tungsten alloys with nominal tungsten contents between 0 and 10 wt% for strain rates between 0.000016 and 6800 sr and temperatures between 77 and 400 K, the addition of tungsten noticeably reduces the strain-rate dependence of the flow stress of tantalum near yield. It also subtly alters the strain-rate behavior of the work hardening, making it more like that of copper, an fee metal. These effects are reflected in the limiting strains for uniform plastic deformation calculated from our flow curves. For unalloyed tantalum, the instability strain appears to drop dramatically for strain rates in excess of approximately 0.005 sr, whereas for tungsten bearing alloys, it remains unchanged or increases slightly. Tungsten alloys may therefore be preferable to unalloyed tantalum in applications that demand substantial ductility at high rates of strain. We briefly discuss possible mechanisms for plastic flow in tantalum and how they might be affected by tungsten additions to produce the effects we observe.