Preparation and characterization of sintered Mo-Re alloys

Abstract
By the method of powder metallurgy, we have tried to fabricate Mo-Re alloys, which were electron beam weldable. Severe quality control was carried out during the whole fabrication process focused to reducing oxygen contamination. It is inevitable that the starting raw powders of Mo and Re were both high purity with 99.99 mass% up. Moreover, high vacuum sintering was performed before final sintering with high-purity hydrogen gas. As a result, we obtained electron beam weldable Mo-Re alloys, the total oxygen content of which was about 10 mass ppm or less, respectively. Several specimens were melted by electron beam welding (EBW) method. It was found that EBW gives an easy and effective survey to examine the weldabity and the quality of the materials. Fracture surfaces examined by AES exhibited very low content of oxygen, carbon and nitrogen or that less than detectability limit. In conclusion, we have succeeded to obtain defect-free welds of sintered Mo-Re alloys. Furthermore it was found that Mo-Re alloys showed excellent potentialities not only in mechanical properties at low temperature but also in the respects of microstructure.