Reactive sintering of porous tungsten: A cost effective sustainable technique for the manufacturing of high current density cathodes to be used in flashlamps

Tungsten ( T m = 3410 ± 20 °C) is traditionally sintered at temperatures in excess of 2000 °C under hydrogen atmosphere using high temperature furnaces. The process is extremely expensive and it is difficult to gain a control over the microstructure. One of the important applications of this metal m...

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Veröffentlicht in:Journal of materials processing technology 2005-12, Vol.170 (1), p.471-476
Hauptverfasser: Selcuk, C., Wood, J.V.
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:Tungsten ( T m = 3410 ± 20 °C) is traditionally sintered at temperatures in excess of 2000 °C under hydrogen atmosphere using high temperature furnaces. The process is extremely expensive and it is difficult to gain a control over the microstructure. One of the important applications of this metal makes use of its porous form as a high current density cathode employed in flashlamps (high power laser lamps). For an improved performance and longer lifetime, a controlled porosity is essential. This study briefly highlights the advantages of an alternative sintering technique based on the concept of reactive sintering previously introduced. This novel process makes use of a small amount of Al addition. Consequently, the sintering temperature is reduced considerably ( T s ≤ 1200 °C) and a more homogeneous porous tungsten is obtained irrespective of the compaction method employed.
ISSN:0924-0136
DOI:10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2005.05.037