Dopant particle characterization and bubble evolution in aluminum-potassium-silicon-doped molybdenum wire

The present article describes the creation of dopant inclusions in aluminum-potassium-silicon (AKS)-doped molybdenum powder and the generation of potassium bubbles in doped molybdenum wire. Molybdenum wire is used extensively in the incandescent lamp industry for coiling mandrels, filament support wires, and foil seals. The AKS-doped molybdenum wire is an important product, because it possesses greater high-temperature strength and a higher recrystallization temperature than undoped molybdenum; both of these properties are important for structural applications in lamps. The AKS-doped molybdenum wire is produced in a similar manner to AKS-doped tungsten wire, but lower processing temperatures are typically used for the production of molybdenum wire. Previous studies on AKS-doped tungsten wire have shown that the dispersion which provides the interlocking grain structure in recrystallized tungsten wire is bubbles of elemental potassium; these enhance incandescent lamp filament life. However, there is little previous work on the potassium-containing dispersion in AKS-doped molybdenum wire. In AKS-doped molybdenum, the dispersion can be either potassium bubbles, or solid oxide particles, depending on the processing method. This article will describe a series of analyses of doped molybdenum wire and its precursors, namely, doped powder and sintered ingots. The roles of high- and low-temperature sintering are also described.