Tungsten/Rhenium Alloy - Material Information

Tungsten–rhenium (W–Re) alloys are high-performance materials renowned for their excellent strength, ductility, and thermoelectric stability at extreme temperatures. Withstanding up to 2500 °C, these alloys are widely used in thermocouples, filaments, and aerospace applications where mechanical integrity and reliable electrical response under heat stress are critical. The addition of rhenium improves tungsten’s brittleness while enhancing its creep resistance and recrystallization temperature.

Material Overview

W–Re alloys consist of a body-centered cubic (BCC) tungsten matrix alloyed with 5–30 at.% rhenium, which enhances ductility by reducing the brittle-to-ductile transition temperature. According to Didoukh et al. (1998), alloys with 21–30 at.% Re display superior thermophysical stability, maintaining consistent electrical resistivity and thermal conductivity even above the melting region. The thermal conductivity typically ranges between 130–180 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹ at room temperature, decreasing gradually with increasing temperature, while the electrical resistivity remains relatively low at approximately 10 ??·cm. Minor rhenium additions (? 1 wt%) also refine the grain structure, improving recrystallization resistance and raising the temperature threshold to around 1588 °C (Shi et al., 2024). These characteristics make W–Re alloys indispensable in high-temperature environments where both conductivity and mechanical strength are required.

Applications and Advantages

The W–Re system is the foundation for type C and type D thermocouples, designed for accurate measurement in extreme environments up to 2500 °C. These alloys provide excellent thermal stability, oxidation resistance, and mechanical robustness. Modern advancements, such as thin-film WRe26–In?O? thermocouples, demonstrate high thermoelectric output (165.5 ?V °C?¹ at 700 °C) with excellent reliability in vacuum and oxidative atmospheres (Bian et al., 2020). Industrially, W–Re wires are used in furnace thermometry, aerospace propulsion systems, and cathode filaments due to their longevity and precise thermal response. Novel sealed high-vacuum W–Re thermocouples now achieve measurement accuracies within 0.5 % t (t = temperature in °C) up to 1900 °C, extending operational lifetimes to over 1700 hours (Zhang, 2016).

Goodfellow Availability

Goodfellow supplies tungsten/rhenium wire and alloy materials for high-temperature thermocouples, filaments, and research-grade instrumentation. Custom compositions and wire dimensions are available to meet specific application requirements. Explore refractory alloys and related materials through the Goodfellow product finder.

References

• Bian, T., Liu, Y., Zhang, Z., Zhao, L., Liu, Z., Shi, P., Lin, Q., Mao, Q., Lu, D., & Jiang, Z. (2020). WRe26–In?O? probe-type thin-film thermocouples applied to high-temperature measurement. Review of Scientific Instruments, 91(7), 075111. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0008887
• Didoukh, V., Seifter, A., Pottlacher, G., & Jäger, H. (1998). Thermophysical properties of W–Re alloys above the melting region. International Journal of Thermophysics, 19(3), 801–811. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022667712300
• Shi, J., Song, J., Liang, M., Lian, Y., Wang, J., Feng, F., & Liu, X. (2024). Effects of minor rhenium additions on the thermal properties and recrystallization temperature of tungsten alloys. Nuclear Materials and Energy, 39, 101609. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nme.2024.101609
• Zhang, P. (2016). W–Re thermocouple working in high-precision ultra-high temperature oxidation, reduction and vacuum atmosphere. Chinese Patent CN105599369A.
• Wang, X., & Zhang, Y. (2022). Calibration of tungsten–rhenium thermocouples in the ultra-high temperature range. Preprint. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2379097/v1