In order to improve the mechanical properties of tungsten at room and elevated temperature, hafnium carbide (HfC) reinforced tungsten matrix composites were prepared using the spark plasma sintering technique. The effect of HfC content on the compressive strength and flexural strength of the tungsten composites was investigated. Mechanical properties of the composites were also measured at elevated temperatures and their trends, with varying reinforcement volume fraction, were studied. The effect of reinforcement fraction on the thermal properties of the composites was investigated. The thermal conductivity and diffusivity of the composites decreased with increasing temperature and reinforcement volume fraction. An inherently low thermal conductivity of the reinforcement as well as interfacial losses was responsible for lower values of thermal conductivity of the composites. Values of coefficient of thermal expansion of the composites were observed to increase with HfC volume fraction.

Keywords: Tungsten, Metal matrix composites (MMCs), Microstructure, Mechanical properties, Thermal conductivity