Tungsten Heavy Alloys (WHAs) are tungsten alloys that typically contain 90 to 98 wt% W. Most commercial tungsten heavy alloys are two-phase structures, the principal phase being nearly pure tungsten in association with a binder phase containing the transition metals plus dissolved tungsten. As a consequence, tungsten heavy alloy (WHAs) derives their fundamental properties from those of the principal tungsten phase, which provides for both high density and high elastic stiffness. It is these two properties that give rise to must applications for this family of materials.

The majority of current uses for WHAs (tungsten heavy alloys) are best satisfied with the W-Ni-Fe system. Tungsten heavy alloys such as 93W-4.9Ni-2.lFe and 95W-4Ni-lFe represent common compositions. The addition of cobalt to a W-Ni-Fe tungsten heavy alloy is a common approach for slight enhancement of both strength and ductility. The presence of cobalt within the tungsten heavy alloy provides solid-solution strengthening of the binder and slightly enhanced tungsten-matrix interfacial strength. Cobalt additions of 5 to 15% of the nominal binder weight fraction arc most common.

 

The current uses of tungsten heavy alloy (WHAs) are spanning a wide range of consumer, industrial, and government applications that include:

 

Tungsten heavy alloy damping weights for computer disk drive heads

Balancing weights for ailerons in commercial aircraft, helicopter rotors, and for guided missiles made by tungsten heavy alloy.

Kinetic energy penetrators for defeating heavy armor by tungsten heavy alloy

Tungsten heavy alloy Fragmentation warheads

Tungsten heavy alloy radiation shielding, radio isotope containers and collimation apertures for cancer therapy devices

High performance lead-free shot for waterfowl hunting made by tungsten heavy alloy.

Tungsten heavy alloy gyroscope components

Tungsten heavy alloy weight distribution adjustment in sailboats and race cars.

 

Many applications that require high gravimetric density for balance weights, inertial masses, or kinetic energy penetrators or high radiographic density for radiation shielding and collimation necessitate rather large bulk shapes. Such a requirement eliminates all but a few candidates on the basis of prohibitive cost, typically reducing the choice of very dense alloys down to either tungsten- or uranium-base materials.

 

Tungsten heavy alloy typically consists of 90 to 98 wt% W in combination with some mix of nickel, iron, copper, and/or cobalt. The bulk of tungsten heavy alloy production falls into the 90 to 95% W range.

 

The choice of tungsten heavy alloy composition is driven by several considerations. The primary factor is the density required by the given application. Further considerations include corrosion resistance, magnetic character, mechanical properties, and post sinter heat treatment options.

 

The first tungsten heavy alloy developed was a W-Ni-Cu alloy. Alloys of this ternary system are still occasionally used today, primarily for applications in which ferromagnetic character and electrical properties must be minimized. W-Ni-Cu alloys otherwise offer inferior corrosion resistance and lower mechanical properties than the present industry standard W-Ni-Fe alloys.

 

The majority of current uses for tungsten heavy alloy are best satisfied with the W-Ni-Fe system. Alloys such as 93W-4.9Ni-2.lFe and 95W-4Ni-lFe represent common compositions. The addition of cobalt to a W-Ni-Fe alloy is a common approach for slight enhancement of both strength and ductility. The presence of cobalt within the alloy provides solid-solution strengthening of the binder and slightly enhanced tungsten-matrix interfacial strength. Cobalt additions of 5 to 15% of the nominal binder weight fraction arc most common.

 

For extremely demanding applications, even higher mechanical properties are obtainable from the W-Ni-Co system with nickel-to-cobalt ratios ranging from 2 to 9. Such tungsten heavy alloys require resolution/quench, however, due to extensive intermetallic (Co3W and others) formation on cool down from sintering.

 

A number of special tungsten heavy alloys are known as well. An example is the W-Mo-Ni-Fe quaternary alloy, which utilizes molybdenum to restrict tungsten dissolution and spheroid growth, resulting in higher strengths (but reduced ductility) in the as-sintered slate.

 

There are also a number of tungsten heavy alloy systems in various stages of development for kinetic energy penetrators that are intended to provide a tungsten heavy alloy that will undergo high deformation rate failure by shear localization in a manner similar to quenched and aged U-0.75Ti for more efficient armor defeat. These alloys to date have not exhibited a property set of interest for industrial applications, however.

 

Tungsten Heavy Alloy Code: GMW
Density: (17-18.5) g/cm³
Main Component of tungsten heavy alloy: W (88-98)% with the addition of nickel and copper or nickel and iron, etc.

Tungsten Heavy Alloy Main Application: For making rotors of dynamic inertial materials, the stabilizers of aircraft wings, shielding materials for radioactive materials, containers in hospitals and for radioactive isotope (Cobalt 60), and for material of armor piercing bullets and moulds, etc.

Tungsten Heavy Alloy Advantages:
-High density
-Excellent mechanical properties such as high vibration-damping capacity and high Young's modulus.
-Excellent radiation-shielding property
-High thermal conductivity with low thermal expansion coefficient
-Higher high-temperature strength and thermal shock resistance
-High oxidation resistance and corrosion resistance
**We supply this material as per customerized sizes and properties.

Tungsten Heavy Alloy illustrates the advantages of microencapsulated powders. A brief background of tungsten heavy alloy system follows.

Tungsten heavy Alloy generally is two-phase composite consisting of W-Ni- Fe or W-Ni- Cu or even W-Ni-Cu-Fe. Tungsten content in conventional tungsten heavy alloys varies from 90 to 98 weight percent and is the reason for their high density (between 17 and 18.6 g/cc). Nickel, iron and copper serve as a binder matrix, which holds the brittle tungsten grains together and which makes tungsten heavy alloys ductile and easy to machine. Nickel-iron is the most popular additive, in a ratio of 7Ni:3Fe or 8Ni:2Fe (weight ratio). The conventional processing route for tungsten heavy alloys includes mixing the desired amount of elemental powders, followed by cold pressing and liquid phase sintering to almost full density. The matrix tungsten heavy alloy melts and takes some tungsten into solution during liquid phase processing, resulting in a microstructure through which large tungsten grains (20-60um) are dispersed in the matrix alloy. The as-sintered material often is subjected to thermo mechanical processing by swaging and aging, which results in increased strength and hardness in the tungsten heavy alloys.

Conventional tungsten heavy alloy exhibits a unique property combination. Properly processed materials show a combination of high density, high strength, high ductility, good corrosion resistance, high radiation adsorption capability, and reasonably high toughness. This property combination has made tungsten heavy alloy a candidate for defense and civilian applications. Some of these applications include X-ray and γ-radiation shields, counter weights, defense purposes of kinetic energy penetrators, vibration dampening devices, medical devices for radioactive isotope containment, heavy-duty electrical contact materials, balancing crankshafts for racing car engines, and gyroscopes.

The Brief Introduction of Tungsten Heavy Alloy Products
With more than 10 years' successful experience, We have become a leading W/Mo e-commercial company, as a professional manufacturer, marketer and exporter in supply of standard and non-standard products and services to hundreds of clients worldwide.

The major products and services of Tungsten Heavy Alloy 
--Tungsten heavy alloy rod, bar, cube, brick, block, plate for various applications
--Tungsten heavy alloy billet/barrel as main body of professional darts,
--Screws/heads for golf club, flying fish sinker by tungsten heavy alloy.
--Counterweight used in yacht, sailboat, submarine and other vessels by tungsten heavy alloy.
--Tungsten heavy alloy ballast for aircraft, helicopter, F1 racing cars and other vehicles
--Tungsten heavy alloy kinetic energy penetrators for defeating heavy armor
--Governor balance weight by tungsten heavy alloy
--Cubes/balls for bullet, rifle, missile and bomb by tungsten heavy alloy
--Tungsten heavy alloy radiation shield for nuclear U-power, X-ray, medical instruments parts etc.
--Mobile phone bobs/vibrators by tungsten heavy alloy
--Tungsten-thoria guide nozzles
--Design and machining of tungsten heavy alloy
--Professional inspection and technical data available for tungsten and tungsten heavy alloy.

All Tungsten Heavy Alloys Product are custom made and designed to a customer's specifications. Please contact us to discuss your specific requirements.