Potential plasma facing materials: A case study on CeB₆ particulate reinforced W–1Ni matrix composites produced via different sintering techniques

Tungsten (W) is the most promising material for future plasma-facing materials. Its alloys or composites reinforced with various compounds have been studied to improve the irradiation resistance of W. This study aimed to investigate the effect of boron-containing reinforcement in the W matrix against He⁺ ion irradiation. Cerium hexaboride (CeB₆) particulates, which have high neutron shielding properties, were incorporated into the W matrix pre-alloyed by 1 wt% Ni (W1Ni). CeB₆ powders were home-made and prepared from CeO₂/Mg/B₂O₃ powder blends via mechanochemical synthesis and purification steps. 1, 5, and 10 wt% CeB₆ powders were added to pre-alloyed W1Ni by mechanical alloying, and then they were consolidated by using pressureless sintering (PS, 1400 °C, 1 h) and spark plasma sintering (SPS, 1410 °C, 1 min) techniques. CeB₆ particle-reinforced W1Ni composites contained different amounts of reinforcements were prepared by two different sintering methods and were compared with respect to their compositional, microstructural, and microhardness properties and wear and irradiation behaviors. Based on the results, increasing the CeB₆ reinforcement amount in the composite triggered the formation of the W₂B phase, especially in the W1Ni–10CeB₆ composite after both sintering methods. The mechanical and irradiation properties were enhanced more by increasing the CeB₆ amount in the case of using the SPS method. When compared to other sintered samples, the SPS'ed W1Ni–10CeB₆ composite has the lowest specific wear rate of ∼4 × 10⁻⁷ mm³/Nm and the maximum hardness value of ∼21 GPa. According to surface deformation, the W1Ni–5CeB₆ composite exhibited comparatively higher resistance to He⁺ ion irradiation.