Oxidation behaviour of tungsten with vanadium additions

Abstract

The effect of vanadium additions on the oxidation behaviour of tungsten has been evaluated at 600 °C in dry air. Mass gain in V-containing tungsten alloys is practically the same than that of pure tungsten processed by a conventional route. The advantage of vanadium alloying arises from the suppression of periodical microcracking described during the oxidation of pure tungsten, although the scale developed during the initial stages is very porous and it is not an effective barrier for inward oxygen ingress. Further protection is conferred when an outermost dense WO3 layer is formed at the air/scale interface by condensation of volatile W and V oxides, turning the kinetics from linear to parabolic.