Fig. 1. Morphologies of experimental powders. (a) Pure tungsten (W) powders; (b) tungsten-5% tantalum carbide (W-5%TaC) powders

Fig. 2. W-TaC samples. (a) Optical images of W-TaC samples with different laser parameters; (b) warping and interlayer cracks of W-TaC samples

Fig. 3. SEM morphologies of W-TaC formed at different laser parameters. (a) 250 W, 300 mm/s; (b) 400 W, 300 mm/s

Fig. 4. Mesoscopic crack distributions and microstructures of pure W (P=400 W, v=300 mm/s) and W-TaC. (a)(d) Side view of cracks; (b)(e) top view of cracks; (e)(f) inverse pole figures, where the gray lines represent small angle interfaces with misorientation of 2°--15° whereas black lines represent large angle interfaces with misorientation greater than 15°)

Fig. 5. Micro-cracks along building direction (BD) of pure W and W-TaC. (a)--(b) Cracks along grain boundaries and nanopores; (c)--(d) transgranular cracks; (e)--(f) hot cracks

Fig. 6. XRD patterns of W-TaC before and after forming. (a) Powders before forming; (b) block after forming

Fig. 7. Morphologies and orientation information of cell structures in W-TaC. (a) Front back-scattered diffraction (FSD) image; (b) IPF image; (c)--(d) interface misorientation of the corresponding area of inverse pole figure, where the dash line and solid line represent the misorientation profiles of point-to-origin and point-to-point measurements, respectively

Fig. 8. Element analysis of line scanning of substructures in W-TaC block. (a) Stripe structures; (b) polygonal cell structures

Fig. 9. Comparison of microhardness of W and W-TaC locks