# The Interface of Additive Manufactured Tungsten–Diamond Composites

## TL;DR

This paper studies how tungsten-diamond composites are formed using 3D printing, revealing how materials interact at their interface and how adding a nickel coating improves the material's quality.

## Contribution

The paper provides new insights into the microstructural evolution and interface behavior of tungsten-diamond composites fabricated via L-PBF with and without Ni-coated diamond.

## Key findings

- In W+D samples, W melts while D remains solid, forming a DLC phase with amorphous structure and supersaturated W-C solid solution.
- Ni coating enhances diffusion control, leading to nanocrystal size variation and reduced cracks in W+(D-Ni) samples.
- W grain refinement at the interface is achieved through Ni coating and C expelling, improving mechanical integrity.

## 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.