Refined microstructure and enhanced mechanical properties in Mo-Y2O3 alloys prepared by freeze-drying method and subsequent low temperature sintering

The ultrafine Mo-Y2O3 composite powders were successfully synthesized by innovative freeze-drying method. Consequently, the freeze-dried Mo-Y2O3 composite powders with high sintering activities possess an average grain size of 54 nm. After low temperature sintering at 1600 °C, the Mo-Y2O3 alloys maintaining a high density (99.6 %) have the finest grain size (620 nm) comparing with available literature about oxide dispersion strengthened molybdenum alloy (ODS-Mo). The oxide particles remain their small size (mainly