High-temperature mechanical properties of aluminium alloys reinforced with titanium diboride (TiB_2) particles

The physical and mechanical properties of metal matrix composites were improved by the addition of reinforcements. The mechanical properties of particulate-reinforced metal-matrix composites based on aluminium alloys （6061 and 7015） at high temperatures were studied. Titanium diboride （TiB2） particles were used as the reinforcement. All the composites were produced by hot extrusion. The tensile properties and fracture characteristics of these materials were investigated at room temperature and at high temperatures to determine their ultimate strength and strain to failure. The fracture surface was analysed by scanning electron microscopy. TiB2 particles provide high stability of the alumin- ium alloys （6061 and 7015） in the fabrication process. An improvement in the mechanical behaviour was achieved by adding TiB2 particles as reinforcement in both the aluminium alloys. Adding TiB2 particles reduces the ductility of the aluminium alloys but does not change the microscopic mode of failure, and the fracture surface exhibits a ductile appearance with dimples formed by coalescence.

Structural and mechanical stability of rare-earth diborides

Structural and mechanical properties of several rare-earth diborides were systematically investigated by first principles calculations. Specifically, we studied XB2 , where X=Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, and Lu in the hexagonal AlB2 , ReB2 , and orthorhombic OsB2 -type structures. The lattice parameters, bulk modulus, bond distances, second order elastic constants, and related polycrystalline elastic moduli （e.g., shear modulus, Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio, Debye temperature, sound velocities） were calculated. Our results indicate that these compounds are mechanically stable in the considered structures, and according to ＂Chen’s method＂, the predicted Vickers hardness shows that they are hard materials in AlB2 - and OsB2 -type structures.

Electronic Structure and Chemical Bond of Titanium Diboride

Titanium diboride was calculated by the density function and discrete variational (DFT-DVM) method to study the relation between structure and properties.Titanium and its first-nearest boron atoms form a strong covalent bond,so TiB 2 has high melting point,hardness and chemical stability.Titanium atom releases two electrons to form Ti 2+ ions,and a boron atom gets one electron to come into B- ion.B- takes the sp2 hybrid and forms σ bonds to link other boron atoms in the same layer.The other one 2p z orbital of every B- ion in the same layer interacts each other to form the π molecular orbital,so TiB 2 has fine electrical property.The calculated density of state is close to the result of XPS experiment of TiB 2.Mainly Ti3d and B2p atomic orbitals contribute the total DOS near the Fermi level.

Microstructure Study on Oxidation of Zirconium Diboride

The oxidation behaviors of fused zirconium diboride and chemosynthetic zirconium diboride as well as morphology and composition of their oxidation products were researched by FESEM-EDS and XRD.The two kinds of zirconium diboride were heated at 700℃,900℃,1100℃and 1300℃for 3 h in air,respectively.The results show that Zr02 and B203(Ⅰ)are generated from the chemosynthetic zirconium diboride oxidized at 700℃for 3 h or the fused zirconium diboride oxidized at 800℃for 24 h;B203(Ⅰ)dissolves into water and then H3B03 crystallizes.

Zirconium Diboride Powders Synthesized by Boro/Carbothermal Reaction Using Sol-Gel Technology

A single phase of zirconium diboride （ZrB2） powder was successfully synthesized by sol-gel method in Zr-B-C-O system, using zirconium oxychloride （ZrOC12 ~ 8H20）, nano-scale boron and suerose（C12H22011）as the starting materials and propylene oxide （PO） as complexing agent at a low temperature. Simultaneously, the experimen- tal and theoretical studies of ZrB2 synthesized by boro/carbothermal reduction from novel sol-gel technology were discussed. The results indicated that the pure rod-like ZrB2 powder without residual ZrO2 phase could be obtained with a B/Zr molar ratio of 3.5 at 1 400~C in argon atmosphere. Besides, in this study, a kinetic model for the Zr-B-C-O sys- tem producing ZrB2 by boro/carbothermal reaction was established based on thermodynamic analysis. It was also ob- served that, with the increase of reaction temperature, the reaction which produced ZrB2 powders changed from the borothermal reaction to boro/carbothermal reaction in the Zr-B-C-O system.

Study on Thermodynamics and Kinetics for the Reaction of Magnesium Diboride and Water by Microcalorimetry

An exothermic reaction between MgB2 and water was observed in our laboratory at high temperature, although no obvious reaction occurred at room temperature. The reaction process of MgB2 and water was therefore studied by using microcalorimetry. The results showed that the reaction enthalpies of MgB2 with water and the formation enthalpies of MgB2 at T = (323.15, 328.15, 333.15 and 338.15) K are (–313.15, –317.85, –322.09, –329.27) kJ?mol–1, and (–238.96, –237.73, –236.50, –234.30) kJ●mol–1, respectively. The standard enthalpy of formation and standard molar heat capacity of MgB2 obtained by extrapolation method are –245.11 kJ●mol–1 and 246 J●mol–1●K–1, respectively. The values of activation energy E, pre-exponential factor A and the reaction order for the reaction of MgB2 and water over the temperature range from 323.15 K to 338.15 K are 50.80 kJ●mol–1, 104.78 s–1 and about 1.346, respectively. The positive values of ΔG≠ and ΔH≠ and negative value of ΔS≠ indicate that the reaction can take place easily above 314.45 K.

Atomic-level insights into the initial oxidation mechanism of high-entropy diborides by first-principles calculations

Understanding the initial oxidation mechanism is critical for studying the oxidation resistance of high-entropy diborides.However,related studies are scarce.Herein,the initial oxidation mechanism of(Zr_(0.25)Ti_(0.25)Nb_(0.25)Ta_(0.25))B_(2)high-entropy diborides(HEB_(2)-1)is investigated by first-principles calculations at the atomic level.By employing the two-region model method,the most stable surface of HEB_(2)-1 is determined to be(1120)surface.The dissociative adsorption process of the oxygen molecule on the HEB_(2)-1-(1120)surface is predicted to proceed spontaneously,where OeO bond breaks and each oxygen atom is chemisorbed on the most preferable hollow site.The adsorption energy and the diffusion barrier of the oxygen atom on the(1120)surface of HEB_(2)-1 are in the vicinity of the average level of the cor-responding four individual diborides.In addition,ab initio molecular dynamics simulations indicate a high initial oxidation resistance of HEB_(2)-1 at 1000 K.Our results are beneficial to further designing the high-entropy diborides with excellent oxidation resistance.

Enhanced oxidation resistance of high-entropy diborides by multicomponent synergistic effects

Oxidation resistance is critical for high-entropy diborides(HEBs)to be used as thermal structural components under oxygen-containing high-temperature environments.Here,we successfully realize the exploitation of(Zr,Ta,Cr,W)B2 HEBs with superior oxidation resistance by comprehensively screening their compositions.To be specific,21 kinds of HEB-xTM(x=0–25 mol%,TM=Zr,Ta,Cr,and W)samples are fabricated via an ultrafast high-temperature sintering technique.The as-fabricated HEB-5Cr samples show the best oxidation resistance at 1673 K among all the samples.Subsquent oxidation investigations further confirm the as-fabricated HEB-5Cr samples possess superior oxidation resistance with the parabolic oxidation behavior across 1473–1773 K.Such superior oxidation resistance is believed to result from the multi-component synergistic effects.Particularly,the Ta^(5+)and W^(4+)cations with high ionic field strengths can promote the formation of 4B–O–4B linkages between[BO4]tetrahedrons by charge balance,which can stabilize the threedimensional skeletal structure of B_(2)O_(3)glass and consequently result in an improved viscosity of the B_(2)O_(3)glassy layer.In addition,the ZrO_(2)and Cr_(2)O_(3)with high melting points can dissolve into the B_(2)O_(3)glass to increase its glass transition temperature,leading to an enhanced viscosity of the B_(2)O_(3)glassy layer.

Electronic structures and strengthening mechanisms of superhard high-entropy diborides

High-entropy diborides(HEBs)have attracted extensive research due to their potential ultra-high hardness.In the present work,the effects of transition metals(TM)on lattice parameters,electron work function(EWF),bonding charge density,and hardness of HEBs are comprehensively investigated by the first-principles calculations,including(TiZrHfNbTa)B_(2),(TiZrHfNbMo)B_(2),(TiZrHfTaMo)B_(2),(TiZrNbTaMo)B_(2),and(TiHfNbTaMo)B_(2).It is revealed that the disordered TM atoms result in a severe local lattice distortion and the formation of weak spots.In view of bonding charge density,it is understood that the degree of electron contribution of TM atoms directly affects the bonding strength of the metallic layer,contributing to the optimized hardness of HEBs.Moreover,the proposed power-law-scaled relationship integrating the EWF and the grain size yields an excellent agreement between our predicted results and those reported experimental ones.It is found that the HEBs exhibit relatively high hardness which is higher than those of single transition metal diborides.In particular,the hardness of(TiZrNbTaMo)B_(2)and(TiHfNbTaMo)B_(2)can be as high as29.15 and 28.02 GPa,respectively.This work provides a rapid strategy to discover/design advanced HEBs efficiently,supported by the coupling hardening mechanisms of solid solution and grain refinement based on the atomic and electronic interactions.

Mechanical properties of hot-pressed high-entropy diboride-based ceramics

High-entropy ceramics attract more and more attention in recent years.However,mechanical properties especially strength and fracture toughness for high-entropy ceramics and their composites have not been comprehensively reported.In this work,high-entropy(Ti0.2Zr0.2Hf0.2Nb0.2Ta 0.2)B2(HEB)monolithic and its composite containing 20 vol%SiC(HEB–20SiC)are prepared by hot pressing.The addition of SiC not only accelerates the densification process but also refines the microstructure of HEB,resulting in improved mechanical properties.The obtained dense HEB and HEB–20SiC ceramics hot pressed at 1800℃exhibit four-point flexural strength of 339±17 MPa and 447±45 MPa,and fracture toughness of 3.81±0.40 MPa·m1/2 and 4.85±0.33 MPa·m1/2 measured by single-edge notched beam(SENB)technique.Crack deflection and branching by SiC particles is considered to be the main toughening mechanisms for the HEB–20SiC composite.The hardness Hv0.2 of the sintered HEB and HEB–20SiC ceramics is 23.7±0.7 GPa and 24.8±1.2 GPa,respectively.With the increase of indentation load,the hardness of the sintered ceramics decreases rapidly until the load reaches about 49 N,due to the indentation size effect.Based on the current experimental investigation it can be seen that the room temperature bending strength and fracture toughness of the high-entropy diboride ceramics are within ranges commonly observed in structure ceramics.

Enabling highly efficient and broadband electromagnetic wave absorption by tuning impedance match in high-entropy transition metal diborides (HETMB_(2))

The advance in communication technology has triggered worldwide concern on electromagnetic wave pollution.To cope with this challenge,exploring high-performance electromagnetic(EM)wave absorbing materials with dielectric and magnetic losses coupling is urgently required.Of the EM wave absorbers,transition metal diborides(TMB2)possess excellent dielectric loss capability.However,akin to other single dielectric materials,poor impedance match leads to inferior performance.High-entropy engineering is expected to be effective in tailoring the balance between dielectric and magnetic losses through compositional design.Herein,three HE TMB2 powders with nominal equimolar TM including HE TMB2-I(TM=Zr,Hf,Nb,Ta),HE TMB2-2(TM=Ti,Zr,Hf,Nb,Ta),and HE TMB2-3(TM=Cr,Zr,Hf,Nb,Ta)have been designed and prepared by one-step boro/carbothermal reduction.As a result of synergistic effects of strong attenuation capability and impedance match,HE TMB2-1 shows much improved performance with the optimal minimum reflection loss(RL_(min))of-59.6 dB(8.48 GHz,2.68 mm)and effective absorption bandwidth(EAB)of 7.6 GHz(2.3 mm).Most impressively,incorporating Cr in HE TMB2-3 greatly improves the impedance match over 1-18 GHz,thus achieving the RLmin of-56.2 dB(8.48 GHz,2.63 mm)and the EAB of 11.0 GHz(2.2 mm),which is superior to most other EM wave absorbing materials.This work reveals that constructing high-entropy compounds,especially by incorporating magnetic elements,is effectual in tailoring the impedance match for highly conductive compounds,i.e.,tuning electrical conductivity and boosting magnetic loss to realize highly efficient and broadband EM wave absorption with dielectric and magnetic coupling in single-phase materials.

Chrysanthemum-like high-entropy diboride nanoflowers: A new class of high-entropy nanomaterials

High-entropy nanomaterials have been arousing considerable interest in recent years due to their huge composition space,unique microstructure,and adjustable properties.Previous studies focused mainly on high-entropy nanoparticles,while other high-entropy nanomaterials were rarely reported.Herein,we reported a new class of high-entropy nanomaterials,namely(Tao2Nbo2Ti.2Wo.2Moo2)B2 high-entropy diboride(HEB-1)nanoflowers,for the first time.Formation possibility of HEB-1 was first theoretically analyzed from two aspects of lattice size difference and chemical reaction thermodynamics.We then successfully synthesized HEB-1 nanoflowers by a facile molten salt synthesis method at 1423 K.The as-synthesized HEB-1 nanoflowers showed an interesting chrysanthemum-like morphology assembled from numerous well-aligned nanorods with diameters of 20--30 nm and lengths of 100-200 nm.Meanwhile,these nanorods possessed a single-crystalline hexagonal structure of metal diborides and highly compositional uniformity from nanoscale to microscale.In addition,the formation of the as-synthesized HEB-I nanoflowers could be well interpreted by a classical surface-contolled crystal growth theory.This work not only enriches the categories of high-entropy nanomaterials but also opens up a new research field on high-entropy diboride nanomaterials.

General trends in surface stability and oxygen adsorption behavior of transition metal diborides(TMB_2)

The potential applications of transition metal diborides(TMB_2) in extreme environments are particularly attractive but still blocked by some intrinsic properties such as poor resistances to thermal shock and oxidation. Since surface plays a key role during grain growth and oxygen adsorption, an insight into the surface properties of TMB_2 is essential for understanding the materials performance and accelerating the development of ultra-high temperature ceramics. By employing two-region modeling method, the stability and oxygen adsorption behavior of TMB_2 surfaces were investigated by first-principles calculations based on density functional theory. The effects of valance electron concentration on the surface stability and oxygen adsorption were studied and the general trends were summarized. After analyzing the anisotropy in surface stability and oxygen adsorption, the observed grain morphology of TMB_2 were well explained, and it was also predicted that YB_2, HfB_2 and TaB_2 may have better initial oxidation resistance than ZrB_2.

Synthesis and densification of zirconium diboride prepared by carbothermal reduction

Using boron powder as additive, the preparation of zirconium diboride(ZrB 2) by carbothermal reduction was investigated. The results show that the carbothermal reduction cannot be completely done until the temperature is more than 1900 ℃. The ZrB2 particles prepared without boron(B) additive at 1900 ℃ for 3 h are rodlike and show a preferential grain growth along [001] direction. B additive changes the heat effect of the raw materials. With B additive, the morphology of ZrB2 particles turns to be regular shape. The average particle size is about 3.6 μm with 2.5 wt% B additives. With more B additive, the shape of particles turns to be round like and the average particle size is decreased to 2.3 μm when 5 wt% B is added. The existence of oxides in grain boundary is a key factor to keep ZrB2 ceramic from deep densification. Using ZrB2 powder prepared with 5 wt% B additives, by controlling carbon content in ZrB2 powder, ZrB2 ceramic with 93%relative density is hot-pressed.

TiB_2/Ni coatings on surface of copper alloy electrode prepared by electrospark deposition

In order to improve the lifespan of spot-welding electrodes used for welding zinc coated steel sheets, titanium diboride was deposited onto their surface after precoating nickel as an intermediate layer. The microstructures and phase compositions of TiB2 and Ni coatings were characterized by SEM and XRD. The coating hardness was measured using a microhardness tester. The results indicate that a satisfactory TiB2 coating is obtained as a result of the intermediate nickel layer acting as a good binder between the TiB2 coating and the copper alloy substrate. Owing to its capacity of deforming, the precoated nickel layer is dense and crack free, while cracks and pores are observed in the TiB2 coating. The hardness of the TiB2/Ni coating decreases with the increase of voltage and capacitance because of the diffusion of copper and nickel and the oxidation of the coating materials. Because of the good thermal and electrical conductivities and high hardness properties of TiB2, the deformation of the electrode with TiB2/Ni coating is reduced and its spot-welding life is by far prolonged than that of the uncoated one.

Electrochemical behaviors of Mg^(2+) and B^(3+) deposition in fluoride molten salts

By using cyclic and linear sweep voltammetry,the electrochemical deposition behaviors of Mg^2＋ and B^3＋ in fluorides molten salts of KF-MgF2 and KF-KBF4 at 880℃ were investigated,respectively.The results show that the electrochemical reduction of Mg^2＋ is a one-step reaction as Mg^2＋＋2e-→Mg in KF-1%MgF2 molten salt,and the electrochemical reduction of B^3＋ is also a one-step reaction as B^3＋＋3e-→B in KF-KBF4 （1%,2% KBF4） molten salts.Both the cathodic reduction reactions of Mg^2＋ and B^3＋ are controlled by diffusion process.The diffusion coefficients of Mg^2＋ in KF-MgF2 molten salts and B^3＋ in KF-KBF4 molten salts are 6.8×10^-7 cm^2/s and 7.85×10^-7 cm^2/s,respectively.Moreover,the electrochemical synthesis of MgB2 by co-deposition of Mg and B was carried out in the KF-MgF2-KBF4 （molar ratio of 6：1：2） molten salt at 750℃.The X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that MgB2 can be deposited on graphite cathode in the KF-MgF2-KBF4 molten salt at 750℃.

First principle study on the elastic and thermodynamic properties of TiB_2 crystal under high temperature

This paper predicts the elastic and thermodynamic characteristics of TiB2 crystal through the method of density functional theory within the generalized gradient approximation （GGA）. The five independent elastic constants （Cij）, the bulk modulus （B0）, the dependence of bulk modulus （B0） on temperature T and pressure P and the coefficient of thermal expansion （αL） at various temperatures have been evaluated and discussed. According to calculation, the bulk modulus will increase with increasing pressure while decrease with the increasing temperature. The coefficient of thermal expansion is consistent with the famous Griineisen＇s law when the temperature is not too high. The obtained results agree well with the experimental and other theoretical results.

Influence of B source materials on the synthesis of TiB_2-Al_2O_3 nanocomposite powders by mechanical alloying

An Al2O3-TiB2 nanocomposite was successfully synthesized by ball milling of Al, TiO2 and two B source materials of B2O3 （system （1）） and H3BO3 （system （2））. Phase identification of the milled samples was examined by Xray diffraction. The morphology and microstructure of the milled powders were monitored by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. It was found that the formation of this composite was completed after 15 and 30 h of milling time in systems （1） and （2）, respectively. More milling energy was required for the formation of this composite in system （2） due to the lubricant properties of HaBO3 and also its decomposition to HBO2 and B2O3 during milling. On the basis of X-ray diffraction patterns and thermodynamic calculations, this composite was formed by highly exothermic mechanically induced self-sustaining reactions （MSR） in both systems. The MSR mode took place around 9 h and 25 h of milling in systems （1） and （2）, respectively. At the end of milling （15 h for system （1） and 30 h for system （2）） the grain size of about 35-50 nm was obtained in both systems.

Preparation of wettable TiB2-TiB/Ti cathode by electrolytic boronizing for aluminum electrolytic

According to the problems of short life and low strength of TiB2 coating cathode for current technology in aluminium electrolysis industry,this work synthesized TiB2-TiB/Ti gradient composite with TiB2 coating and TiB whiskers in metallic Ti matrix by a electrolytic boronizing method based on similar density and thermal expansivity of the three materials.The phase composition and morphology of the cross-section were determined by X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electronic microscope(SEM)and X-ray energy dispersive spectrum(EDS).The results show that uniform TiB2 layer with a thickness of 8-10μm is continuously coated on the surface while the TiB whisker connected with TiB2 layer was embedded dispersedly into the matrix.The TiB crystal whisker has a maximum length of about 220μm.The growth rate of TiB2 and TiB is enhanced by the strong reduction of B4C.The novel gradient design of the composite helps to extend life and improve strength of the TiB2 cathode in aluminium electrolysis.

Effect of NaCl on synthesis of ZrB2 by a borothermal reduction reaction of ZrO2

ZrB2 powders were synthesized via a borothermal reduction reaction of ZrO2 with the assistance of NaCl under a flowing Ar atmosphere. The optimal temperature and reaction time were 1223 K and 3 h, respectively. Compared with the reactions conducted without the addition of NaCl, those performed with the addition of an appropriate amount of NaCl finished at substantially lower temperatures. However, the addition of too much NaCl suppressed this effect. With the assistance of NaCl, a special morphology of polyhedral ZrB2 particles covered with ZrB2 nanosheets was obtained. Moreover, the experimental results revealed that the special morphology was the result of the combined effects of B2O3 and NaCl. The formation of the special microstructure is explained on the basis of the “dissolution–recrystallization” mechanism.