Corrosion of High-Density Sintered Tungsten Alloys. Part 1. Immersion Testing
Abstract
Sintered tungsten alloys are candidate materials for certain Australian ammunition components, namely kinetic energy penetrators, because of their high density. It is probable that a storage life of twenty years in an uncontrolled environment will be a requirement for this ammunition. Thus there is a need to determine the long-term storage capability of these alloys, in particular their capability to remain un-corroded during this period. The corrosion behaviour of four candidate alloys has therefore been evaluated through weight loss measurements after total immersion in both distilled water and 5% sodium chloride solutions. The propensity of these alloys to corrode in a crevice situation was assessed in the sodium chloride solution. Some insight into the mechanism of corrosion was afforded by an examination of the surfaces after the tests using the SEM and through an analysis of the corrosion products. Pure tungsten and all the alloys studied underwent corrosion during the tests, and in each case the rate of corrosion in sodium chloride solution was markedly less than that in distilled water. Examination of the data shows that for each of the tests copper as an alloying element accelerates corrosion of tungsten alloys. Keywords: Corrosion resistant alloys.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA204962
Entities
People
- B. T. Moore
- I. G. Mcdonald
- J. J. Batten
- V. M. Silva
Organizations
- Defence Science and Technology Group