Phase transition of multi-component(TiZrVNb)C ceramics—Part II:From single phase to multiple phases via adjusting V content

To address the relatively mediocre mechanical properties of single-phase multi-component carbide ceramics,a phase transition from a single phase to multiple phases was proposed to achieve superior mechanical properties.A series of(TiZrV_(x)Nb)C_(0.8) ceramics with different V contents were fabricated by spark plasma sintering(SPS).The influence of the V content on the phase composition,microstructural evolution,and mechanical properties was investigated in detail.The transition behavior from a single phase to multiple phases is discovered and discussed.The formation of the Zr-rich phase and Zr-poor phase can be attributed to the increase in lattice distortion and mixed enthalpy caused by the addition of V.A nanometer lamellar structure with a semi-coherent interface obtained via in situ decomposition is reported for the first time in multi-component carbide ceramics.The semi-coherent interfaces with high dislocation density and strain concentration effectively improve the mechanical properties,grain refinement,and multi-phase formation.The optimal comprehensive mechanical properties of the Vickers hardness(26.3 GPa),flexural strength(369 MPa),and fracture toughness(3.1 MPa·m^(1/2))were achieved for the sample with 20 mol%V.

Phase transition of multi-component(TiZrVNb)C ceramics—Part I:Phase decomposition induced by carbon content

Phase decomposition can effectively enhance the mechanical properties of carbide ceramics and can overcome the difficulty of enhancing the mechanical properties of single-phase multicomponent carbide ceramics.In this work,a series of nonstoichiometric(TiZrVNb)Cx ceramics were prepared by spark plasma sintering(SPS)at different temperatures.The effects of the carbon content on the phase composition,microstructure evolution,and mechanical properties were investigated in detail.Phase decomposition occurred with decreasing carbon content.Two different solid solutions of(Ti,V)-rich and Zr-rich phases formed from the decomposition of equimolar single-phase solid solutions,namely,the Zr-poor phase and Zr-rich phase,respectively.The distribution of Nb element is relatively uniform.The semicoherent interfaces between the Zr-poor phase and the Zr-rich phase can harden and strengthen effectively under the synergistic effect of grain refinement.Ceramics with phase decomposition structures have apparent advantages compared to single-phase high-entropy carbides.This work provides an important train of thought for the microstructure tailoring and properties optimization of multi-component carbide ceramics.

Low thermal conductivity of dense(TiZrHfVNbTa)C_(x) high-entropy carbides by tailoring carbon stoichiometry

Transition metal carbides are promising candidates for thermal protection materials due to their high melting points and excellent mechanical properties.However,the relatively high thermal conductivity is still a major obstacle to its application in an ultra-high-temperature insulation system.In this work,the low thermal conductivity of dense(TiZrHfVNbTa)Cx(x=0.6-1)high-entropy carbides has been realized by adjusting the carbon stoichiometry.The thermal conductivity gradually decreases from 10.6 W·m^(−1)·K^(−1) at room temperature to 6.4 W·m^(−1)·K^(−1) with carbon vacancies increasing.Due to enhanced scattering of phonons and electrons by the carbon vacancies,nearly full-dense(97.9%)(TiZrHfVNbTa)C_(0.6) possesses low thermal conductivity of 6.4 W·m^(−1)·K^(−1),thermal diffusivity of 2.3 mm^(2)·s^(−1),as well as electrical resistivity of 165.5μΩ·cm.The thermal conductivity of(TiZrHfVNbTa)C_(0.6) is lower than that of other quaternary and quinary high-entropy carbide ceramics,even if taking the difference of porosity into account in some cases,which is mainly attributed to compositional complexity and carbon vacancies.This provides a promising route to reduce the thermal conductivity of high-entropy carbides by increasing the number of metallic elements and carbon vacancies.

Reactive sintering of dual-phase high-entropy ceramics with superior mechanical properties

1. Introduction The requirements for the performance of materials have become increasingly stringent in recent years, with the rapid development of aerospace, machinery, metallurgy, nuclear energy,chemical industry, and military industry [1,2], and traditional single-phase materials are gradually revealing disadvantages due to the contradiction between demanding service environments and simple material design.

Insights into grain boundary segregation and solubility limit of Cr in(TiZrNbTaCr)C

Dense(TiZrNbTaCr)C with Cr segregation along grain boundaries(GBs)has been first proposed and fabri-cated by pressureless sintering at 1800-2000℃,utilizing the self-synthesized carbide powders obtained by carbothermal reduction.Cr segregation along GBs is successfully realized as expected via optimizing the initial Cr content.When Cr content is more than 11.12 at.%,Cr addition is excessive and results in Cr-rich second phase formation at triple junctions.To analyze the Cr solubility dependence on tempera-ture and initial Cr content,the Cr content in(TiZrNbTaCr)C grains is investigated by EDS.The solubility limit of Cr in(TiZrNbTaCr)C is about 3.8 at.%at 1900℃.Finally,Vickers hardness of all the samples is measured to assess the mechanical property of(TiZrNbTaCr)C ceramics.The basic understanding of the Cr solubility limit and GB segregation feature in(TiZrNbTaCr)C have been preliminarily clarified,which may pave a potential way to design and tailor microstructure and GB feature of(TiZrNbTaCr)C for the purpose of enhancing its properties in the future.