Crack resistance and micromechanisms of failure of dispersion-hardened molybdenum alloy with 30% tungsten

Devising composites on the basis of high melting metals, especially tungsten and molybdenum, is one of the promising trends in the materials science of high melting structural materials [i]. This class of materials has comparatively good high-temperature properties and satisfactory technological suitability. However, with the development of branches using new techniques the requirements concerning materials become more stringent, especially as regards their ability to resist failure under conditions of complex thermal and mechanical loading that is characteristic of real operating conditions. One of the possible ways of optimizing the mechanical properties of high melting metals and alloys based on them is hardening by dispersive high melting oxides [2].