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Article

The Interface of Additive Manufactured Tungsten–Diamond Composites

1
Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China
2
Laser Processing Research Centre, Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
3
National Key Laboratory for Remanufacturing, Army Academy of Armored Forces, Beijing 100072, China
4
School of Science, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Materials 2025, 18(11), 2574; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18112574 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 28 April 2025 / Revised: 23 May 2025 / Accepted: 27 May 2025 / Published: 30 May 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Advanced Composites)

Abstract

Tungsten–diamond metal matrix composites (MMCs) fabricated via L-PBF show potential for applications in nuclear facility shielding, heat sinks, precision cutting/grinding tools, and aerospace hot-end components. In this paper, tungsten (W), diamond (D), and diamond with Ni coating (D-Ni) powders are used to fabricate W+D and W+(D-Ni) composites by L-PBF technology. The results show that at the interface of the W+D sample, the W powder melts while the D powder remains in a solid state during L-PBF processing, and W and C elements gradually diffuse into each other. Due to the high cooling rate of L-PBF processing, the C phase forms a diamond-like carbon (DLC) phase with an amorphous structure, and the W phase becomes a supersaturated solid solution of the C element. At the interface of the W+(D-Ni) sample, the diffusion capacity of Ni and W elements in the solid state is weaker than in the molten state. C and W elements diffuse into the Ni melt, forming a rich Ni area of the DLC phase, while Ni and W elements diffuse into the solid D powder, forming a lean Ni area of the DLC phase. In the rich Ni area of the DLC phase, Ni segregation leads to the precipitation of nanocrystals (several hundred nanometers), whereas in the lean Ni area of the DLC phase, the diffusion capacity of Ni and W elements in the solid D powder is limited, resulting in nanocrystalline sizes of only about tens of nanometers. During W dendrite growth, the addition of the Ni coating and the expelling of the C phenomenon leads to W grain refinement at the interface, which reduces the number and length of cracks in the W+(D-Ni) sample. This paper contributes to the theoretical development and engineering applications of tungsten–diamond MMCs fabricated by L-PBF.
Keywords: laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF); tungsten; diamond; metal matrix composites; interface bonding laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF); tungsten; diamond; metal matrix composites; interface bonding

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MDPI and ACS Style

Gao, X.; Cheng, D.; Sun, Z.; Huang, Y.; Ouyang, W.; Lan, C.; Li, Z.; Li, L. The Interface of Additive Manufactured Tungsten–Diamond Composites. Materials 2025, 18, 2574. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18112574

AMA Style

Gao X, Cheng D, Sun Z, Huang Y, Ouyang W, Lan C, Li Z, Li L. The Interface of Additive Manufactured Tungsten–Diamond Composites. Materials. 2025; 18(11):2574. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18112574

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gao, Xuehao, Dongxu Cheng, Zhe Sun, Yihe Huang, Wentai Ouyang, Cunxiao Lan, Zhaoqing Li, and Lin Li. 2025. "The Interface of Additive Manufactured Tungsten–Diamond Composites" Materials 18, no. 11: 2574. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18112574

APA Style

Gao, X., Cheng, D., Sun, Z., Huang, Y., Ouyang, W., Lan, C., Li, Z., & Li, L. (2025). The Interface of Additive Manufactured Tungsten–Diamond Composites. Materials, 18(11), 2574. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18112574

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