Tungsten-rhenium alloys with a substantially more dilute rhenium content have ductilities and other mechanical properties which compare favorably with the tungsten-rhenium alloys having much higher concentrations of the costly rhenium

Klopp, W. D.

Raffo, P. L.

Witzke, W. R.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

December 1966	 Brief 66-10528 
NASA TECH BRIEF 
NASA Tech Briefs are issued to summarize specific innovations derived from the U.S. space program, 
to encourage their commercial application. Copies are available to the public at 15 cents each 
from the Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific and Technical Information, Springfield, Virginia 22151. 
.I:;.;	 ..	 ........
Lower-Cost Tungsten—Rhenium Alloys 
Applications of the refractory metal tungsten have 
been limited because of its very low ductility at room 
temperature. Although binary alloys of tungsten con-
taining approximately 22 to 39 percent by weight of 
the scarce refractory metal rhenium are considerably 
more ductile than unalloyed tungsten, the high cost of 
rhenium has restricted the use of these alloys. 
Further research has now shown that tungsten-
rhenium alloys with a substantially more dilute 
rhenium content, 1.0 to 9.1 percent by weight, have 
ductilities and other mechanical properties which 
compare favorably with the tungsten-rhenium alloys 
having much higher concentrations of the costly 
rhenium. The considerably lower cost of the dilute 
tungsten-rhenium alloys should make them attractive 
for a wider range of applications than was practica-
ble with unalloyed tungsten or the more concentrated 
tungsten-rhenium alloys. 
Tungsten alloys containing 1.0 to 9.1 weight-
percent rhenium were prepared by electron beam and 
arc melting, respectively. These were fabricated into 
sheet and/or rod and subjected to evaluation tests. A 
commercial arc melted 26-percent-rhenium alloy, an 
electron beam melted 24-percent-rhenium alloy, and 
unalloyed tungsten were also evaluated for compari-
son. 
The dilute tungsten-rhenium alloys were signifi-
cantly more ductile than unalloyed tungsten fabri-
cated in a similar manner. Ductile-brittle bend 
transition temperatures of -75 0 and -1000 F were 
observed for worked sheet of the electron beam melted 
alloys with 1.9 and 9.1 percent rhenium, respectively. 
The dilute arc melted alloys were slightly less ductile 
than the electron beam melted alloys, and room tem-
perature ductility was observed only with the 1.0
percent rhenium alloy. These compared with transi-
tion temperatures of 215 0
 and 235° F for worked sheet 
of unalloyed arc and electron beam melted tungsten, 
respectively. Transition temperatures for the arc-
melted 26-percent-rhenium alloy and the electron-
beam melted 24-percent-rhenium alloy were - 1500 
and approximately -310° F, respectively. 
Annealing at 3600°F recrystallized all the alloys and 
significantly increased the bend transition tempera-
tures. Minima in transition temperature of 450 0
 and 
400°F occurred at 2 percent rhenium in the series of 
electron beam melted alloys and at approximately 4 
percent rhenium in the arc melted alloys, respectively, 
compared with 630° to 670° F for unalloyed tungsten. 
The 24- and 26-percent-rhenium alloys, with transition 
temperatures of 375 0 and 3500 F, respectively, were 
slightly more ductile than the best dilute alloys after 
this anneal. 
At 25000
 to 35000 F, the short time tensile strength 
increased with increasing rhenium up to 9.1 percent 
rhenium. 
The creep strength at 35000
 F increased with increas-
ing rhenium content up to 5 to 7 percent rhenium. The 
24- and 26-percent-rhenium alloys were weaker than 
the dilute alloys and had about the same creep strength 
as unalloyed tungsten. 
Note: 
Inquiries concerning this innovation may be di-
rected to:
Technology Utilization Officer 
Lewis Research Center 
21000 Brookpark Road 
Cleveland, Ohio 44135 
Reference: B66-10528
(continued overleaf) 
An 
MW
This document was prepared under the sponsorship of the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration. Neither the United States 
Government nor any person acting on behalf of the United States
Government assumes any liability resulting from the use of the 
information contained in this document, or warrants that such use 
will be free from privately owned rights.
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19660000526 2020-03-11T17:43:48+00:00Z
Patent status: 
No patent action is contemplated by NASA. 
Source: William D. Klopp, Walter R. Witzke, 
and Pete L. Raffo 
(Lewis-332) 
Brief 66-10528	 Category 03


Lower-cost tungsten-rhenium alloys

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

NASA Technical Reports Server