VANADIUM-SPINEL COMPOSITES FOR STRUCTURAL APPLICATIONS IN HOSTILE ENVIRONMENTS

Vanadium-spinel composites are promising materials for structural appl ications in radiation environments. Powders of two vanadium-spinel com posites, 20/80 vol.%, were prepared by (a) ball milling mixtures of va nadium and spinel powders (alloy VSLP) and (b) through a self-sustaine d reaction synthesis of vanadium, MgO, and Al powders (alloy VSHP). Th ese powders were consolidated by hot isostatic pressing. Most of the V and spinel domains in the compacts are sub-micron in size. The compac ts have K-c toughness values of 3.9, about three times the toughness o btained by hipping mixtures of commercial powders. (C) 1997 Elsevier S cience S.A.