Integrated regulation of preparation-microstructure-properties for W/Mo refractory alloys and their composites

As representative Group 6 refractory metals, tungsten (W) and molybdenum (Mo) are promising candidates for aerospace, nuclear fusion, and other advanced engineering applications because of their extremely high melting points, excellent high-temperature strength, and high thermal conductivity. Their wider engineering use, however, is constrained by processing difficulties and limited service reliability, which are largely associated with intrinsic room-temperature brittleness and a high ductile-to-brittle transition temperature (DBTT). This review systematically examines recent advances in W- and Mo-based refractory alloys and composites within an integrated processing–microstructure–property framework. First, melting, powder metallurgy, and additive manufacturing are compared in terms of their respective advantages and limitations in impurity control, grain refinement, and densification. Second, homogeneous and heterogeneous microstructural architectures are reviewed and compared, together with different modes of interfacial bonding and the patterns of microstructural evolution under different thermodynamic and kinetic conditions. Particular emphasis is placed on interpreting strengthening and toughening mechanisms from the perspective of crystal defects of different dimensionalities and on analyzing irradiation-damage behavior, thereby supporting the reliable engineering deployment of W- and Mo-based materials in extreme environments. Finally, future research priorities are summarized, including standardized multi-property evaluation, characterization and testing under coupled multiphysics conditions, multiscale simulation, and component-scale validation.