ZrTiO4 secondary phase effects on ductility and toughness of molybdenum alloys

Abstract Molybdenum materials are widely used in electronics and high-temperature applications because of their high strength and recrystallization temperature, good electrical and thermal conductivity. However, molybdenum brittleness, low ductility, and fracture toughness have been limiting its applications. In this work, a new Mo-ZT (Mo-ZrTiO4) alloy was designed containing various amounts of the ZrTiO4 secondary phase, ranging from 0.5 wt% to 3 wt%. The Mo-ZT alloy with 2.5 wt% ZrTiO4 has the ultimate tensile strength above 1,000 MPa(rolled) and 25% elongation (annealed), which is higher than previously reported molybdenum alloys. Compared with the Mo-1ZT alloy, the elongation is increased by 166% with 2.5 wt% ZrTiO4 addition. This offers novel insights for improving alloys’ ductility.