{"title":"Microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of Mo₂FeB₂-based cermets with different contents of Cr and Ni in chloride-ion-rich environment","authors":"Heng Zhao, Xin He, Yong Zheng, Zishen Han, Bo Li, Qian Wang, Lingling Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2025.107411","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2025.107411","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mo₂FeB₂-based cermets with combined additions of Cr and Ni were prepared by reaction boronizing sintering. The effects of Cr and Ni content on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and corrosion behavior of Mo₂FeB₂-based cermets were systematically investigated. Increasing the Cr content enhanced the wettability between the hard phase and the Fe-based binder phase, resulting in a more homogeneous and densified microstructure, which, in turn, improved mechanical properties. However, excessive Cr led to hard-phase agglomeration and pore formation, thereby degrading mechanical performance. The addition of Ni lowered the liquidus temperature, enhancing liquid-phase flow during sintering. Nonetheless, excessive Ni caused microstructural agglomeration, which reduced the overall mechanical performance. Optimal mechanical properties were achieved with 9 wt% Cr and 3 wt% Ni, characterized by well-distributed hard phases and low porosity. Cr was enriched in the binder phase, forming a Cr-rich passivation film under chloride-rich conditions which suppressed galvanic corrosion. Ni further stabilized the passive film on the surface. The synergistic effect of Cr and Ni significantly enhanced corrosion resistance while simultaneously preserving excellent mechanical properties. Under neutral salt spray exposure, the corrosion process progressed through stages of film breakdown, pseudo-passivation and surface reactivation. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analyses showed a gradual decline in the film resistance (R<sub>f</sub>), the emergence of dual time constants, and increased double-layer capacitance (Q<sub>dl</sub>), indicating a shift from film-controlled to substrate-controlled corrosion.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials","volume":"133 ","pages":"Article 107411"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144922924","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yutong Sima , Cheng Chen , Zhenhua Long , Xingwei Xu , Taijun He , Dong Yang , Yi Han , Ji Xiong , Junbo Liu
{"title":"Microstructure and properties of nacre-like Al2O3-HEOs ceramic prepared by “floe ice” effect in colloidal system","authors":"Yutong Sima , Cheng Chen , Zhenhua Long , Xingwei Xu , Taijun He , Dong Yang , Yi Han , Ji Xiong , Junbo Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2025.107409","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2025.107409","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Compared to conventional ceramics, the hardness, strength, and toughness of textured alumina ceramics with a brick-mortar structure are significantly enhanced. In this study, a simple method was employed to fabricate alumina ceramics with improved fracture toughness by combining alumina platelets with high entropy oxides (HEOs) composed of MgO-Al₂O₃-ZrO₂-TiO₂-SiO₂ by “floe ice” effect in colloidal system, forming a brick-mortar structure. Microstructure, Vickers hardness, relative density, fracture strength, and wear resistance, were thoroughly examined. The results indicated that the relative density of the composite alumina ceramics was 96.5 %, with a Vickers hardness of 1916 ± 50 HV<sub>1</sub>, a fracture strength exceeding 310 MPa, and a fracture toughness of 5.167 ± 0.15 MPa·m<sup>1/2</sup>. These properties represented a 2.3-fold increase in fracture toughness compared to conventional alumina ceramics (2.217 ± 0.34 MPa·m<sup>1/2</sup>). The improved fracture toughness is attributed to the excellent wettability and versatility of HEO as an intergranular liquid phase, coupled with the effective crack deflection facilitated by the brick-mortar structure formed by the Al₂O₃ platelets. This method is simple and cost-effective, which offers a promising approach for the fabrication of high-toughness alumina ceramics with complex geometries.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials","volume":"134 ","pages":"Article 107409"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145155471","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effect of grain size on surface quality in single-point diamond turning of tungsten","authors":"Jinxuan Bai, Diwen Luo, Zhiwei Xu, Na Qin","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2025.107405","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2025.107405","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tungsten and its alloys are representative difficult-to-cut materials extensively applied in plasma-facing components, where both surface integrity and subsurface microstructural features are critical. The purpose of this work is to investigate the machining mechanisms and quality associated with single-point diamond turning (SPDT) tungsten samples with distinct average grain sizes. Face-turning experiments were conducted to characterize surface morphologies, evaluate cutting forces, and examine subsurface microstructural evolution. In parallel, a FEA model incorporating the actual grain structure was developed to simulate stress propagation and distribution features during cutting. Results demonstrated that fine-grained tungsten specimen exhibited improved hardness because of Hall-Petch effect, resulting in more pronounced topographical variation and increased cutting forces. Nevertheless, the pre-existing grain and subgrain boundaries along with dislocations, were found to partially suppress surface micro-crack propagation. Furthermore, microstructural analysis identified the generation of a grain-refined layer, with grain widths reduced to a minimum of approximately 1 μm. The present research presents an in-depth insight into the influence of tungsten microstructural characteristics on its SPDT performance through the integration of experimental findings and grain-informed simulations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials","volume":"134 ","pages":"Article 107405"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144997673","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zhenchuan Li , Benqi Jiao , Weiwei Zhang , Tao Yin , Zhongwu Hu , Wen Zhang , Jianfeng Li
{"title":"Unveiling the superior high-temperature mechanical property of molybdenum single crystal by adding Nb element","authors":"Zhenchuan Li , Benqi Jiao , Weiwei Zhang , Tao Yin , Zhongwu Hu , Wen Zhang , Jianfeng Li","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2025.107407","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2025.107407","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the present work, the molybdenum alloy single crystal has been deformed at both high temperature and high strain rates. The microstructure evolution of the pure Mo and Mo<img>Nb single crystals subjected to the dynamic load at 800 °C was investigated by EBSD and TEM. The mechanical curves show a V-shaped characteristic and a strain rate sensitivity. With the increase of strain rate and Nb content, the curves gradually become smooth and the V-shape characteristics disappear. The pure Mo and Mo<img>Nb alloy single crystals still maintain the single crystal structure at strain rates ranging from 1500 to 2500 s<sup>−1</sup>. At a strain rate of 2500 s<sup>−1</sup>, the deformation is dominated by dislocation slip, and with the addition of Nb element, the dislocation configuration changes the dislocation wall of pure Mo single crystal to the dislocation cell with the high-density dislocation entanglement of Mo<img>3Nb single crystal, and finally to the uniform dislocation cell of Mo<img>6Nb single crystal. This work provides a new idea for the processing and composition design of refractory alloy single crystals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials","volume":"134 ","pages":"Article 107407"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145005089","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Wenlin Ma , Pu Chen , Yu Shan , Yi Ding , Zhen Pang , Gewen Yi , Shanhong Wan , Wenzhen Wang , Junyang Wang , Huwei Sun
{"title":"Effect of rhenium addition on the microstructure, high temperature mechanical and tribological properties of WMo alloy","authors":"Wenlin Ma , Pu Chen , Yu Shan , Yi Ding , Zhen Pang , Gewen Yi , Shanhong Wan , Wenzhen Wang , Junyang Wang , Huwei Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2025.107406","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2025.107406","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To meet the growing demand for materials capable of withstanding extreme high-temperature environments encountered in hypersonic aircraft and the nuclear industry, this study prepared a series of ternary refractory alloys (WMo)<sub>1-x</sub>(Re)<sub>x</sub> with varying Re mass fractions (x = 0, 5, 10, and 20 wt%) via powder metallurgy techniques. The influences of Re addition on the alloys' microstructure, phase composition, high-temperature mechanical properties, as well as friction and wear behavior over a broad temperature range were systematically investigated. Results indicate that Re addition significantly refined grain structure and promoted uniform distribution of Mo, primarily due to the formation of WMoRe solid-solution-based multiphase structures brought about by solid-solution strengthening and inhibition of grain coarsening. Mechanical tests demonstrated that both the hardness and yield strength of alloys exhibited concentration-dependent enhancements with increased Re content. Furthermore, the tribological properties showed a ternary mapping relationship involving temperature, composition, and wear mechanisms. Specifically, the incorporation of Re effectively suppressed oxidation layer formation below 600 °C, while at 800 °C, the excessive formation of oxides degraded the tribological performance of alloys.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials","volume":"134 ","pages":"Article 107406"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144997766","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zechao Luan , Aiqin Wang , Douqin Ma , Jia Lou , Cunzhi Qin , Shenlong Yue , Jingpei Xie
{"title":"Fracture toughness enhancement mechanism of multimodal WC-10Co-4Cr coating sprayed by HVOF","authors":"Zechao Luan , Aiqin Wang , Douqin Ma , Jia Lou , Cunzhi Qin , Shenlong Yue , Jingpei Xie","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2025.107404","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2025.107404","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>WC-10Co-4Cr coatings are widely used for surface protection of aircraft landing gear due to their high hardness and wear resistance. Generally, reducing the WC grain size in the feedstock powder enhances the hardness of coatings prepared by high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) spraying. However, this grain size refinement also increases the surface area and promotes severe decarburization, leading to the formation of brittle phases, which in turn limits the fracture toughness of WC-10Co-4Cr coatings. In this study, three conventional WC-10Co-4Cr coatings (with WC grain sizes of 1.5 μm, 0.8 μm, and 0.3 μm) and one multimodal WC-10Co-4Cr coating were prepared via HVOF spraying. The results show that with decreasing WC grain size, the hardness of the conventional coatings increased from 1059.09 HV to 1182.07 HV, while the fracture toughness decreased by approximately 36 %. In contrast, the multimodal coating exhibited an 18 % improvement in fracture toughness compared to the conventional coatings, while maintaining a high hardness of 1178.18 HV. The enhanced toughness of the multimodal WC-10Co-4Cr coating is mainly attributed to its multimodal microstructure, which facilitates the formation of Cr-rich transition layers and Cr-rich precipitates at the WC interface. These Cr-enriched features significantly inhibit the decarburization process, thereby improving the coating's structural stability and fracture resistance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials","volume":"133 ","pages":"Article 107404"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144917122","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Muhammad Waqas Khalid , Sanghoon Jo , Dongju Lee , Bin Lee
{"title":"Grain growth inhibition in microwave sintered Al2O3 with two-step hybrid sintering","authors":"Muhammad Waqas Khalid , Sanghoon Jo , Dongju Lee , Bin Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2025.107399","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2025.107399","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study, a novel two-step hybrid sintering approach was employed using α-Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> to address the primary limitation of microwave sintering, which is excessive grain growth occurring during the final stage of sintering. The first step involved microwave sintering of α-Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>, while the second step consisted of prolonged conventional sintering. To optimize this process, 3D modeling and simulation were conducted to identify the relative density at which the open porosity network in the sub-micron powder destabilized. It was identified that 90 % relative density was the critical point, beyond which closed porosity increased significantly. A holding time of 40 h at 1300 °C yielded a relative density of 98.6 % and an average grain size of 1.1 μm, approximately half the size of grains in microwave single-step sintered Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> samples. This novel two-step hybrid sintering method demonstrates potential for effectively controlling grain size in Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>, both at laboratory and industrial scales.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials","volume":"133 ","pages":"Article 107399"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144912415","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Temperature measurement of the tool-chip interface for cemented carbide tools using thin-film thermocouples in cutting of glass fiber-reinforced plastic","authors":"Di Zhou, Lei Huang, Juntang Yuan","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2025.107403","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2025.107403","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Thin Film Thermocouples (TFTCs) show promising applications in the field of cutting temperature measurement due to their miniature size and ease of integration with the tools. However, the harsh environment at the tool-chip contact interface inevitably causes wear of the hot junction. Depositing a wear-resistant hard coating on the surface of the TFTCs is an effective way to improve their service lifespan. Nevertheless, the protective layer hinders heat transfer to the TFTCs. The influence of the hot junction wear on its temperature measurement performance cannot be overlooked. These factors collectively compromise the reliability of temperature measurement results obtained by TFTCs. The objective of this study is to directly fabricate the NiSi-NiCr TFTCs on commercial cemented carbide tools to measure the cutting temperature of glass fiber-reinforced plastic (GFRP). The hot junctions are fabricated at the tooltip using a customized mask, electrically isolated by the SiN<em>x</em> coating, and prepared with a top coating of TiAlN for protection. A steady-state heat conduction model is established to determine the temperature distribution along the coating thickness direction. The calculated results indicate that the TiAlN coatings with a thickness of 2 μm can produce a temperature reduction of up to 4 %. The cutting experiments indicate that the wear area of the TFTCs increases with both cutting speed and cutting length. The accelerated wear of the hot junction results in a significant attenuation of the temperature signal from the TFTCs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials","volume":"133 ","pages":"Article 107403"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144931616","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Q. Chen , J.X. Li , M. Yang , Y.W. Ye , J.B. Zhang , L.M. Yan
{"title":"Submicron coating strategy overcomes densification bottlenecks in liquid-phase sintering of immiscible WCu bimetallic systems","authors":"Q. Chen , J.X. Li , M. Yang , Y.W. Ye , J.B. Zhang , L.M. Yan","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2025.107401","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2025.107401","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tungsten‑copper (W<img>Cu) composites had received attention due to their high melting point (W) and excellent conductivity/thermal conductivity (Cu), and were widely used in high-temperature electrical contact materials. However, their intrinsic immiscibility limited the achievement of densification via conventional powder metallurgy, yielding sintered densities of only 85–92 % of theoretical values. This study proposed a submicron coating engineering strategy to address this challenge. By chemically precipitating and hydrogen-reducing a CuSO<sub>4</sub> precursor, submicron W coatings were constructed on micron-sized W particles (4–5 μm). After calcination at 450 °C and hydrogen reduction at 900 °C, the coated composite powders were liquid-phase sintered at 1300 °C for 2 h, achieving a relative density of 97.8 %, which significantly surpassed the value of conventional methods (84.9 %). Microstructural analysis revealed that the submicron coatings prolonged the particle rearrangement phase by isolating micron-sized W grains, while the high surface activity of submicron particles enhanced interfacial diffusion, synergistically optimizing densification. The sintered body without impurity phase exhibited an electrical conductivity of 54.7 % IACS (comparable to 56.0 % for infiltration products), a 73 % hardness increase (179.8 HB). This strategy overcame the densification bottlenecks in immiscible systems by regulating interparticle interactions and offered a universal solution for analogous systems (e.g., Mo<img>Cu, W<img>Ag).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials","volume":"133 ","pages":"Article 107401"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144908018","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dengzhi Yao, Shaoyang Zhao, Ming Wei, Guangyu Yang, Bang Xiao, Jian Wang
{"title":"Preparation of refractory Ta-10 W alloy powder by plasma rotating electrode process","authors":"Dengzhi Yao, Shaoyang Zhao, Ming Wei, Guangyu Yang, Bang Xiao, Jian Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2025.107398","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2025.107398","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>How to prepare high-performance and fine powder suitable for additive manufacturing (AM) is crucial to the deep utilization of Ta-10 W alloy. In this paper, refractory Ta-10 W alloy powder was prepared via the plasma rotating electrode process (PREP) technology, and the atomization process was numerically reconstructed using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. Comprehensive characterization of the powder properties was performed. And the influences of key operating parameters on the size and properties of Ta-10 W alloy powder were systematically analyzed. Mechanism insights into parameter effects on atomization behavior and resultant powder properties were elucidated. Results demonstrate that high-performance Ta-10 W alloy powder with high sphericity, good surface quality, low oxygen content, freedom from hollow spheres and fine powder size suitable for additive manufacturing is successfully prepared. When the rotating speed increases from 21,000 rpm to 25,000 rpm or the current decreases from 2600 A to 2200 A, the size of the Ta-10 W alloy powder decreases. The liquid film disintegration mode during the atomization process is mainly liquid ligament disintegration. Increasing the rotating speed and decreasing the current will lead to a decrease in the thickness of the liquid film and the diameter of the liquid ligament, thereby reducing particle size. A high rotating speed, i.e., 25,000 rpm and a low current, i.e., 2200 A can be employed to obtain Ta-10 W alloy powder with a small size.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials","volume":"133 ","pages":"Article 107398"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144908017","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}