I would like to use metal springs made of Tungsten or Tantalum in low temperature environment. Does anybody have any experience with such springs? More precisely, I would like to make compression springs by rolling tungsten or tantalum wire on a rod. I expect that, typically, the spring constant will increase by let say 30%. Is there any other problems I should also consider when the spring works at 10 K?
Stephan Fedrigo
Any experience with Tungsten or Tantalum metal springs in a low temp environment?
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1 Comment
Santiago Sanz
October 29, 2008I am not a specialist in materials, but these two metals could become brittle at low temperatures. They have body centered cubic crystal structure (if I am not wrong) and most metals of this type become brittle in these conditions (see for example the book “Cryogenic engineering” by Thomas M. Flynn, second edition, page 262).