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Tungsten heavy alloys are two-phase composites made from W-Ni-Cu, with W-Ni-Fe alloys being the most common. These alloys were created over a century ago and are largely composed of W-Ni-(Cu/Co/Fe/Mo) alloys. Nickel is essential for sintering densification, which is determined by the gravitational environment. Mechanical qualities can be altered by composition, sintering cycle, or post-sintering treatment. Post-sintering deformation and aging treatments can enhance strength while decreasing ductility. This review encapsulates the recent advancements in WHA processing techniques and their diverse applications across industries. The review first elucidates the significance of WHAs in various industrial domains, including aerospace, defense, medical, and energy sectors, highlighting the demand for improved processing methodologies. Subsequently, it presents an overview of conventional processing methods such as powder metallurgy and casting techniques, emphasizing their limitations in achieving precise microstructures and properties. The review then delves into recent innovative processing approaches, including additive manufacturing, mechanical alloying, and spark plasma sintering, which offer enhanced control over microstructure and property optimization. Furthermore, the review discusses the influence of processing parameters and alloy compositions on the final properties of WHAs, elucidating strategies for tailoring WHA microstructures to meet specific industrial requirements. Additionally, it examines the challenges and future prospects associated with advanced WHA processing techniques, emphasizing the need for further research to overcome existing limitations and explore novel applications. This paper also provides insight into recently developed compositions and their potential uses in industries. Apart from that, some research gaps will be identified based on the previous work, which can provide insight into the future scope of research in developing suitable tungsten heavy alloys for different applications. Overall, this comprehensive review serves as a valuable resource for researchers, engineers, and industrial practitioners involved in the development and utilization of tungsten heavy alloys across diverse industrial sectors. |
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