Elevated Temperature Compressive Strength and Deformation Behavior of a ZrC_P Reinforced Tungsten-Matrix Composite

The elevated temperature deformation behavior of a 30 vol.%ZrC_p/W composite was studied by hot compression. The true stress–true strain curves exhibit a steady flow characteristic. The flow stress strongly depends on temperature and strain rate. The facture strain increases with increasing temperature and decreasing strain rate. The activation energy and the stress exponent were calculated as 344 kJ/mol and 17.6, respectively. The deformation mechanisms of the composite are the dynamic recovery in tungsten matrix at temperatures under 1500 °C and the dynamic recrystallization in tungsten matrix at 1600 °C, but accompanied by a little pseudo-plasticity behavior at 1300 °C in the strain rate of 10⁻¹∼1/s. The dislocation behavior in ZrC particle contributes to the plastic deformation of the composite.