Mechanical Behavior of Polycrystalline Rhenium under 3-Points Bending at a Low Homological Temperature

Abstract

Mechanical behaviour of polycrystalline rhenium under 3-points bending at such low homological temperature as room is discussed. Two metallurgical technologies (electron beam melting and powder metallurgy) were used for the samples preparation. Fine-grained samples (PM metal) exhibit some plasticity prior the failure, while coarse-grained ones (EBM metal) behave like a brittle solid. The intergranular fracture is the fracture mode of rhenium in both cases. Basal slip and prismatic slip of dislocations are not active in rhenium at low homological temperature, but the grain boundary sliding occurs under these conditions. Therefore, polycrystalline rhenium cannot be machined at room temperature despite the growth of grain boundary cracks are braked in the samples due to grain boundary sliding. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.