AT0100516 BA Gnesin et al. GTM9 161 15 International Piansee Seminar. Eds. G. Kneringer. P. Rddhammer and H. Wildner, Plansee Holding AG. Reulte (2001). Vol. 3 Oxygen Concentration and Defect Structure in Molybdenum and Tungsten B.A. Gnesin, \ V.V. Kireiko2, A.P. Zuev2 1 Institute of Solid State Physics of RAS, Chernogolovka, 142432 Russia 2 Institute of Microelectronics problems of RAS, Chernogolovka, 142432 Russia Summary: Oxygen concentration was directly determined in molybdenum and tungsten with a help of neutron-activation analysis for metals of usual commercial purity as well as for high-purity metals. It was found, that after special treatment (surface oxidation at relatively low temperature and annealing in a temperature range 800-1500°C) oxygen concentration depends strongly on subgrain or grain structure parameters. In a rolled refractory metals of commercial purity oxygen-defects interaction may cause significant delay of recrystallisation (more than 200°C). Comparison with high-purity metals illustrates the role of impurities was not the main and a big part of oxygen was bonded in molybdenum itself, but impurities effect basically the temperature level of recrystallisation. It was shown that oxygen concentration for recrystallized molybdenum is proportional to grain boundaries specific surface most likely for given compositions of impurities. Subsequent annealing in a hydrogen with low dew point was shown to be effective for to remove significant part of additional oxygen. Keywords: Molybdenum, tungsten, oxygen, recrystallisation, diffusion, grain boundaries, neutron-activation analysis 1. Introduction: It is a matter of a fact that oxygen concentration limits directly plasticity properties of tungsten, molybdenum and their alloys. Oxygen contamination is very "easy" in technology during hot and/or warm rolling, annealing in vacuum, noble gases atmospheres and even in hydrogen atmosphere with not sufficiently low dew point [1,2] especially whether surface of metal has oxide films or even spots of appreciable thickness. 162 GT19 B.A. Gnesin et al. 15' Inlernational Plansee Seminar, Eds. G. Kneringer. P. Rddhammer and H. Wildner, Plansee Holding AG. Reutte (2001), Vol. 3 Unfortunately, experimental methods for determination of oxygen concentration are not always reliable. The neutron-activation method seems us to be the most reliable and it helps to determine separately the contributions of oxygen bonded on a surface and oxygen bonded in a bulk of material when it is possible to measure oxygen concentration twice: immediately after irradiation and after surface etching [1,2]. It was established [1,2] that in high purity and even in pure commercial molybdenum oxygen bonds during diffusion occurring simultaneously with recrystallisation in molybdenum itself mainly due its defect structure: subgrain and grain boundaries, particles of second phase were not detected with a help of electron microscopy of thin foils. Moreover, simple estimation of impurities capacity to bond oxygen in these cases had shown that these concentrations were evidently insufficient in comparison with defect structure capacity at 800- 1200cC. For completely recrystallised structures oxygen concentration after saturation at 1200°C was shown to be directly proportional to absolute specific surface of grain boundary structure independently impurities concentration for relatively pure molybdenum or molybdenum alloy [2]. For temperatures above ~1200-1400°C oxygen solubility due to oxygen-defects interaction was shown to diminish significantly in comparison with oxygen solubility level in bulk material. Concentration levels and rate of oxygen diffusion in refractory metals is important also for strengthening of molybdenum alloys by inside oxidation [3,4] processes due dispersed oxide particles formation. This short communication is devoted to some unpublished results concerning oxygen solubility in tungsten and molybdenum in connection with structure particulars. 2. Materials and experimental procedure Molybdenum of commercial purity (in ppm): W- 50-100; Fe- 0.3-1; Si, Na- 1- 10; Cr, K- 3-10; Ca- 3-20; C, V- 10-40; N- 1-6; Mg-3-7; Al- 1-9; H, Zr -O.3.), after usual powder technology process. High purity double melted in vacuum molybdenum (C <10; W <20; Ni, Mn, As <30; O, Fe, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ta <1) and tungsten (C <10; Mo <50; Si <0.2; O <0.5; Ti, N, F, Hf<0.3, Al, Fe, Cr, Co, Ni<0.1 ) were used also. Oxygen concentration was measured on tungsten disk samples (028, h=1.2- 2.2 mm) with a help of neutron generator NG -150M («quick neutrons» with B.A. Gnesin et al. GT19 163 15' • International Plansee Seminar. Eds. G. Kneringer. P. Rodhammer and H. Wildner, Plansee Holding AG, Reutte (2001). Vol. 3 peak energy 14 Mev). For oxygen concentration determination nuclear reaction 16O(n,p)16N +y(6.7Mev) was used. Samples after surface oxidation were saturated by oxygen in vacuum chamber were pressure of MoO2 was a little higher than equilibrium pressure, [5], due to evaporation of additional quantity of MoO3. Reduction of samples with different initial oxygen concentration was carried out in hydrogen with dew point < -20°C. Structure of molybdenum sheets was studied on polished with diamond powder and pastes samples after electrochemically polished in sulphuric acid an subsequent etching in colouring reactive (water solution of H2O2 and HNO3, [6] Optical microscope «Neophot-32» was used. 3. Experimental Results and Discussion As it was established earlier, [1,2], oxygen can significantly change structure of deformed molybdenum after annealing in 900-1200°C interval. Typical zone of recrystallisation retardation (ZRR), [1,2] is shown on Fig.1 for 0.45 mm rolled molybdenum sheet cross section. Depth of ZRR usually does not exceed 0.5 mm. Whether somebody would like to restrict his control of recrystallisation structure only on samples prepared without cross sectioning the sheet, it would be possible to conclude wrongly that this sample is not recrystallised at all. In a common investigation with colleague A.A. Snegirev (ISSP) it was established that after warm rolling tungsten of usual for powder metallurgy technology purity also may forms ZRR of about 20-40 mkm depth. As it was shown earlier [1,2], local oxygen concentration in ZRR may be at least 1-2 orders higher than in the bulk of molybdenum. And provided ZRR is not eliminated by complete recrystallisation after consequent annealing at high temperatures, its role is not manifested in drastic fall of plasticity. On the contrary plasticity usually arises after formation of ZRR due to additional dislocation sources near samples surface and relatively high plasticity in samples completely recrystallised core, Fig.1,2. The main condition is not to receive completely recrystallised structure. In the last case fall of plasticity would be truly drastic in tests with surface stress concentrators. 164 GT19 B.A. Gnesin et al. 15' International Plansee Seminar. Eds. G. Kneringer. P. Rodhammer and H. Wildner. Plansee Holding AG. Reutte (2001). Vol. 3 During ZRR formation additional oxygen bonds with defects remaining in deformed structure with negligible level of oxygen contamination in the bulk of material, [2] even after complete recrystallisation in the samples core. Sample with ZRR is alike composite material with different properties of its layers. Strengthening due ZRR formation without disperse particles in relatively pure metals is not big - <10% usually, but plasticity arises in comparison with deformed state significantly. Fig. 1 Cross section of 0.45 mm of powder technology molybdenum sheet along the rolling direction (horizontal) after vacuum annealing at 1200°C for 1 hour, x250. The edges of cross-sectioned samples are visible. Photo height corresponds to 220 mkm. Fig.2 Typical microstructure of commercial purity powder technology molybdenum in zone of recrystallisation retarding, x15 000, [1]. Thin foil electron microscopy. B./^Gnesin etal. GT19 165 15 international Pfansee Seminar, Eds. G. Kneringer. P. Hddhammer and H. Wildner. Plansee Holding AG. Heutte (2001), Vol. 3 The defects (dislocations, subgrain boundaries), Fig.2, concentrates near the surface and helps to realise plasticity in strengthened thereof layers near surface without cracking, usual to recrystrallised molybdenum. We have experience of artificial creation of ZRR as well as preventing of ZRR formation. Depth of ZRR depends mainly on three factors: surface conditions, metals composition and degree of deformation. Surface conditions includes two aspects: annealing atmosphere and surface oxide film thickness and homogeneity. Composition of relatively pure molybdenum, and molybdenum alloys especially, is very important for time-temperature dependence of recrystallisation processes. ZRR may be formed in high purity molybdenum also, but optimal temperature interval of its formation is lower than for molybdenum of commercial purity. More alloyed compositions usually posses higher temperature level of recrystallisation and it helps to receive ZRR with relatively large depth. Influence of deformation degree was studied on powder metallurgy molybdenum of commercial purity after cold rolling on four-high rolling mill. Experiments were carried out on 1.5 mm thickness samples after cold rolling in two different initial states: • after warm rolling down to 1.5 mm • after warm rolling down to 1.5 mm, cold rolling down to 0.7 mm and complete recrystallisation at 0.7 mm thickness Rolled samples were annealed for to ZRR formation at 1100°C for 2 hours. Used artificial oxidising before annealing has resulted in ZRR with relatively little dispersion in depth, Fig.3, [7]. Dispersion is shown with a help of «whiskers». For each sample depth was measured twice - under opposite rolling surfaces. Deformation was estimated as e=ln(to/t) where t0 is initial sheet thickness and t is thickness before annealing. It is evident after results illustrated by Fig.3: cold rolling deformation cause significant decreasing of ZRR depth, seems to be almost stabilising after true deformation e«1-1.5 and subsequent annealing for ZRR formation. 166 GT19 B.A. Gnesin et al. 15 • International Plansee Seminar. Eds. G. Kneringer, P. Rodhammer and H.