Grain refinement of W-Ni-Fe heavy alloys by tantalum element adding

90W-TNi-3Fe and (90-x)W-xTa-7Ni-3Fe (x= 1,3,5,7,10) specimens were attained by liquid phase sintering. A model describing the process of liquid forming and spreading was proposed to point out the differences between alloys doped with tantalum and traditional tungsten heavy alloys. Tantalum priority of entering matrix and a relative high solubility in liquid matrix depress tungsten solubility in liquid matrix, which decreases kinetic rate constant K and consequently results in the reduction of W grain size. The grain refinement is influenced by Ta content and becomes more obvious when Ta content is over 5%. The sample with less than 3%Ta has dominant W and matrix phases. While besides W and matrix phases, intermetallic phases emerge in 85W-5Tai-TNi-3Fe sample. Ta is superfluous and forms a new tantalum phase when more than 7% Ta is added into alloys.