Processing and mechanical properties of a molybdenum silicide with the composition Mo–12Si–8.5B (at.%)

Alloys with the nominal composition Mo–12Si–8.5B (at.%) were prepared by arc-melting or powder-metallurgical processing. Cast and annealed alloys consisted of approximately 38 vol.% α-Mo in a brittle matrix of 32 vol.% Mo3Si and 30 vol.% Mo5SiB2. Their flexure strengths were approximately 500 MPa at room temperature, and 400–500 MPa at 1200°C in air. The fracture toughness values determined from the three-point fracture of chevron-notched specimens were about 10 MPa m1/2 at room temperature and 20 MPa m1/2 at 1200°C in air. The relatively high room temperature toughness is consistent with the deformation of the α-Mo particles observed on fracture surfaces. Three-point flexure tests at 1200°C in air and a tensile test at 1520°C in nitrogen indicated a small amount of high temperature plasticity. Extrusion experiments to modify the microstructure of cast alloys were unsuccessful due to extensive cracking. However, using powder-metallurgical (PM) techniques, microstructures consisting of Mo3Si and Mo5SiB2 particles in a continuous α-Mo matrix were fabricated. The room temperature fracture toughnesss of the PM materials was on the order of 15 MPa m1/2.