Tungsten wires and porous NiAl prepared through directional solidification and selective dissolution

The combination of directional solidification and selective dissolution was applied to fabricate tungsten (W) wires and porous NiAl matrix. A NiAl–W pseudobinary eutectic alloy with 1.5?at.% tungsten was directionally solidified in a Bridgman-type oven at 1700°C. Results confirmed that the relationships of the growth rate with the interfibrous spacing and diameter of W fibrous phases in the directionally solidified samples are in accordance with the Jackson and Hunt (J?H) model. Afterward, the NiAl matrix was selectively dissolved in an HCl:H₂O₂ solution to reveal W wires, which present various three-dimensional (3D) morphologies at different growth rates. The W fibrous phases in the NiAl–W alloy samples were then selectively removed with a mixed etchant of ammonium acetate to form a porous NiAl matrix at a constant potential. Dynamic corrosion curves revealed that etching W from the NiAl matrix was inhibited after 2–3?h. The porous structures of NiAl after removing W phases are linked to the 3D morphologies of W fibrous phases embedded in the NiAl matrix. The aspect ratio of W wires and the structures of porous NiAl can be adjusted by selecting the process parameters of this combined technology.