International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials最新文献

{"title":"Synergistic modification of WC-10Co cemented carbide with Y2O3-VC and its friction and wear behavior under multiple environments","authors":"Zhenyun Lu ,&nbsp;Yongqiang Qin ,&nbsp;Xiaoyong Zhu ,&nbsp;Laima Luo ,&nbsp;Yucheng Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107716","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107716","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To optimize the friction and wear performance of WC-10Co cemented carbide, this study investigated the friction coefficient, wear rate, wear scar morphology, and wear mechanism of the alloy under dry friction and in three liquid media by adding different contents of Y₂O₃ and VC. Additionally, the “composition-structure-property” correlation was analyzed in combination with mechanical properties. The results show that Alloy A4, containing an appropriate amount of composite additives (Y₂O₃ and VC), exhibits the optimal mechanical properties. Under dry friction conditions, the average friction coefficient of Alloy A4 is 16.6% lower than that of Alloy A1, and the wear rate is reduced by 61.59%. In liquid media, the lubricating effect effectively reduces frictional resistance and wear severity: the average friction coefficient is the lowest in a neutral water environment; the most severe wear occurs in acidic media due to the corrosion-wear coupling effect; and the wear severity in alkaline media is between the two aforementioned conditions. Analysis of wear morphology and mechanisms indicates that the dominant wear mechanism under dry friction conditions is dominated by abrasive wear, accompanied by oxidation wear and slight adhesive wear; that in neutral aqueous solutions is dominated by surface plastic plowing, along with slight fracture and spalling of the Co phase induced by fatigue; that in alkaline solutions is dominated by micro-cutting as well as slight fracture and pull-out of local WC grains caused by interfacial weakening; and that in acidic solutions is dominated by macroscopic fracture and spalling of WC grains resulting from corrosion-induced weakening, together with minor oxidation. The composite addition of Y₂O₃ and VC enhances the mechanical properties and wear resistance of the alloy through the synergistic effects of grain refinement, grain boundary pinning, and binder phase strengthening. This study provides key support for the design of high-performance cemented carbides and the improvement of their adaptability to service environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 107716"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146110061","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 Me layers (Nb, Ta, Mo) on interfacial behavior and mechanical properties of laminated metal-ceramic Me/MAX phase-based composites","authors":"Egor Kashkarov ,&nbsp;Dmitriy Krotkevich ,&nbsp;Anastasia Abdulmenova ,&nbsp;Yulia Teryaeva ,&nbsp;Zhenying Huang ,&nbsp;Nahum Travitzky","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107714","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107714","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the microstructure, phase composition, mechanical properties, and fracture mechanisms of novel metal-ceramic laminated composites. These materials were fabricated by spark plasma sintering (SPS) of Ti₃Al(<em>Si</em>)C₂ MAX phase-filled preceramic papers with niobium, tantalum, or molybdenum foils (Me/TAC composites). The obtained composites exhibit a well-defined alternating layered structure with uniform metal and ceramic layers. X-ray diffraction analysis confirms the formation of ceramic layers consisting primarily of Ti₃Al(<em>Si</em>)C₂, with secondary phases of TiC and α-Al₂O₃. The key feature of the composites is the formation of complex, multi-layered reaction layers (RLs) at the metal/ceramic interfaces, whose thickness and phase composition are highly dependent on the metal used. The thickest RL (∼17 μm) was observed in Nb/TAC composites, followed by Mo/TAC (∼9.7 μm) and Ta/TAC (∼7 μm). Mechanical characterization reveals that the bending strength and fracture toughness are strongly influenced by the Me and the Me/TAC ratio. Despite significant interface delamination, the highest fracture toughness (∼16.5 MPa·m^1/2) was obtained for Mo/TAC composites fabricated by stacking one layer of preceramic paper per one metal foil layer (Me/TAC ratio of 1/1). In contrast, Nb/TAC and Ta/TAC composites, which showed quasi-ductile behavior with pronounced plastic deformation of the metal layers without noticeable delamination of the interface, exhibited lower fracture toughness. The obtained results suggest that the mechanical properties of the laminated composites are determined not only by the properties of the Me layers, but also significantly depend on interfacial RLs and consequently on the resulting fracture mechanisms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 107714"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146095603","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":"Simulation-assisted material extrusion additive manufacturing of WC–6Ti(C, N)–10Co cemented carbides","authors":"Runxing Zhou ,&nbsp;Lei Chen ,&nbsp;Zuming Liu ,&nbsp;Yongxia Li ,&nbsp;Dan Zou ,&nbsp;Xulin Cheng ,&nbsp;Yiming Chang ,&nbsp;Peicheng Mo ,&nbsp;Hanjing Lu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107698","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107698","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The advanced manufacturing industry has an urgent demand for WC–Co cemented carbide complex geometric parts with high-density and excellent mechanical properties prepared by additive manufacturing (AM). In this work, simulation-assisted material extrusion (MEX) AM was employed to prepare WC–6Ti(C, N)–10Co cemented carbides. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and phase-field simulation (PFS) were employed to optimize MEX AM processes including the printing and sintering processes, and then prepare the high-performance cemented carbides using the CFD and PFS results, which effectively shortened the production cycles and reduced the costs of AM cemented carbides. Based on the simulation results, the printed green bodies with free-defects were prepared using a printing temperature of 150 °C and a printing speed of 30 mm/s, and the high-performance WC–6Ti(C, N)–10Co cemented carbide with fine WC grains and a uniform microstructure were prepared by sintered at 1360 °C. The cemented carbide exhibited a relative density of 99.3%, an average WC grain size of 310.9 nm, and a 40 μm decarburization gradient layer. The Vickers hardness of the cemented carbides reached 1701 ± 57 HV₃₀ at the cubic carbide free layer of the surface layer and 1787 ± 22 HV₃₀ in the homogeneous cemented carbide in the interior, respectively. Meanwhile, the transverse rupture strength and fracture toughness were 2610 ± 32 MPa and 10.7 ± 0.23 MPa·m^1/2, respectively, which were comparable with those of gradient cemented carbides prepared by powder metallurgy. This work provides important guidance for the development of high-performance cemented carbides by AM.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 107698"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146089224","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":"Vat photopolymerization of WC-316 L steel-bonded hardmetals with complex structures","authors":"Zihang Chen ,&nbsp;Zirui Liu ,&nbsp;Kaihua Shi ,&nbsp;Chaoqun Peng ,&nbsp;Richu Wang ,&nbsp;Xiaofeng Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107720","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107720","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Steel-bonded hardmetals, composites comprising hard ceramic phases within a steel matrix, offer excellent wear resistance crucial for demanding applications. However, using traditional processes to fabricate parts with complicated geometry continues to be difficult. This work shows that complex WC-316 L steel-bonded hardmetal components can be produced using vat photopolymerization (VPP) additive manufacturing. An acidic block copolymer dispersant (P5398, 3 wt%) was found to be the best option after a methodical optimization of the photocurable slurry. This resulted in a low viscosity of 4.79 Pa·s at 100 s⁻¹ and improved stability for a 50 vol% solids loading slurry. Specimens were successfully created using optimized printing parameters (95% laser power, 1000 mm/s scan speed, 0.02 mm hatch spacing) and a customized thermal debinding-sintering profile. Samples from the 50% slurry had minimal surface roughness (Ra = 2.34 μm), a transverse rupture strength of 1173.07 MPa, a Vickers hardness of 794.41 HV, and a relative density of 97.3%. WC particles were uniformly distributed throughout the steel matrix, according to microstructural studies, which contributed to the improved mechanical qualities. This work bridges the gap between geometric freedom and material performance by establishing VPP as a practical and accurate manufacturing route for complexly formed, high-performance steel-bonded hardmetals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 107720"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146171563","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":"Microstructural effects on the fatigue crack growth behavior of γ-phase containing WC-Co cemented carbides: Mechanics, mechanisms and fatigue sensitivity","authors":"M. Serra ,&nbsp;R. Batista ,&nbsp;L. Cabezas ,&nbsp;N. Cinca ,&nbsp;E. Tarrés ,&nbsp;E. Jiménez-Piqué ,&nbsp;L. Llanes","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107706","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107706","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The partial substitution of tungsten carbide by cubic refractory ones (γ-phase) represents an accessibility-driven approach for the microstructural design of hard ceramic-metal composites, offering an alternative to WC-Co hardmetals by reducing dependence on tungsten as a critical raw material. However, successful implementation of this approach requires knowledge and deeper understanding of microstructural effects on mechanical integrity, beyond simple hardness – indentation fracture toughness correlations, for these γ-phase containing- WC-Co cemented carbides. In this study, a systematic and detailed investigation addressing the influence of γ-phase carbides – as third phase – on crack growth resistance of WC-Co hardmetals, under monotonic and cyclic loading, is conducted. Materials studied include two γ-phase containing grades with submicron and fine grain sizes, as well as two reference WC-Co systems with matching microstructural features. Fatigue crack growth behavior and fracture toughness are assessed by testing through-thickness pre-cracked specimens. The mechanical study is complemented by an extensive characterization of cracking paths and fractographic features. Independent of microstructural assemblage, crack propagation under variable loading is found to be dominated by static failure modes rather than pure cyclic ones. Meanwhile, quantitative analysis of crack-microstructure interactions reveals an increased frequency of transgranular cracking through the γ-phase carbides in both submicron- and fine-grained grades. This is more pronounced in the former, significantly reducing the relative prominence of binder-related crack paths. Hence, despite exhibiting higher crack growth rates, the submicron-grained three-phase cemented carbide is found to have a lower fatigue sensitivity relative to its reference counterpart. This behavior reflects a microstructure-dependent trade-off and should be interpreted within a tailored application framework. However, such behavior is not kept as microstructure gets coarser, because this yields higher and lower proportions of ductile binder fracture and transgranular crack paths within γ-phase carbides, respectively. Nanoindentation measurements revealed significant differences in hardness and modulus between WC, γ-phase and binder regions, further validating the observed failure micromechanisms. The experimental findings and their corresponding analysis underscore the critical influence of microstructural assemblage — particularly the contiguity and distribution of the γ-phase carbides — in controlling fracture and fatigue behavior in multielement cemented carbide systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 107706"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146072547","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":"Fracture analysis and lightweight optimization of an ultra-large scale anvil","authors":"Wenbo Gao ,&nbsp;Xiaobing Li ,&nbsp;Xi Cheng ,&nbsp;Dekun Ma ,&nbsp;Hanzhang Wang ,&nbsp;Feng He ,&nbsp;Liping Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107729","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107729","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The anvil specification is a critical factor influencing both the synthesis efficiency and manufacturing cost of diamond. To address the key technical challenge of fracture initiation during the upscaling of anvils, a mechanical model of the tungsten carbide anvil-preload ring assembly was established using the finite element method. Six paths were defined across critical regions on the anvil surface to analyze stress distribution patterns, based on this analysis, a fracture criterion for the anvil was formulated. Subsequently, a mathematical model was constructed with mass minimization as the objective function and maximum equivalent stress as the constraint condition, based on the finite element results. The design of experiments (DOE) method was employed to generate initial sample points. A Kriging meta-model was then applied to construct response surfaces, which elucidated the influence and variation trends of design variables on stress, deformation, and mass, thereby facilitating local optima. Finally, a multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA) was utilized to identify the global Pareto-optimal solutions. The results demonstrate the reliability of the proposed optimization strategy: the optimized anvil design achieved a 27.73% reduction in mass, thereby realizing the lightweight design objective while ensuring that all practical production requirements were met. This approach effectively reduces design costs and improves material utilization efficiency.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 107729"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146152782","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":"The H₂O-temperature synergy in phase and morphology control during WO₃ hydrogen reduction","authors":"Xiang Zhan ,&nbsp;Tianchen Li ,&nbsp;Yaoxing Ji ,&nbsp;Huan Zhang ,&nbsp;Huimin Tang ,&nbsp;Yusi Che ,&nbsp;Jilin He","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107718","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107718","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study combines thermodynamic calculations and hydrogen reduction experiments to systematically elucidate the synergistic effects of water vapor partial pressure (lg(Kp)) and temperature on the reduction pathways of WO₃ and on the morphological inheritance of W powder. The results show that water vapor partial pressure exerts a decisive influence on both the reduction sequence and the resulting powder morphology. At lg(K_p) = −0.06, increasing temperature drives the reaction along the pathway WO₃ → WO_2.9 → WO₂, whereas at lg(K_<em>p</em>) = 0.64, the pathway changes to WO₃ → WO_2.9 → WO_2.72 → WO₂. In the subsequent transformation from WO_<em>x</em> to metallic W, clear differences are also observed. Under low water vapor partial pressure (lg(K_p) ≈ −∞), the reduction proceeds stepwise via WO_2.9 → WO₂ → W, while WO_2.72 can be directly reduced to W in a single step. In contrast, a relatively high water vapor partial pressure (lg(K_p) = −0.23) promotes abnormal coarsening of W powder particles, which is attributed to the formation and volatilization of gaseous WO₂(OH)₂. Under lg(Kp) ≈ −∞, however, the morphology of W powder is largely inherited through local solid-state chemical reactions. These findings clarify the regulation mechanism of water vapor during hydrogen reduction of WO₃ and provide a theoretical and technical basis for optimizing W powder production processes to meet the stringent requirements of high-performance W-based functional materials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 107718"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146110062","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":"Improvement of mechanical properties of electron beam welded Mo14Re alloy with in-situ carbon by magnetron sputtering","authors":"Linjie Wen ,&nbsp;Hongyi Li ,&nbsp;Hu Zhang ,&nbsp;Yuchang Ran ,&nbsp;Jinshu Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107723","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107723","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Molybdenum (Mo) and its alloys exhibit substantial application potential in the nuclear industry due to their high chemical stability and superior resistance to neutron irradiation. Molybdenum‑rhenium (MoRe) alloys, in particular, demonstrate significantly enhanced performance owing to the “rhenium effect.” However, the inherent brittleness of welded MoRe alloy joints remains a critical obstacle to their widespread engineering utilization. A novel approach that pre-deposits carbon(C) films on the welding interface of Mo14Re alloy thin plates via magnetron sputtering combining with electron beam welding (EBW) was applied in this study. In-situ carburization for the weld zone(WZ) was inevitable during the process of EBW. The results revealed that synchronized carburization treatment improves the weld geometry by means of thermal absorption of the material and molten pool flow, transforming it from a V-shaped weld into an I-shaped one; that it forms Mo₂C secondary phases in the WZ, thereby refining the grains in this area; and that it enhances the mechanical properties of the joints through fine-grain and secondary-phase strengthening. These findings have propelled the advancement of welding technologies for MoRe alloys and offer a promising strategy for the reliable joining of critical components in nuclear applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 107723"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146134281","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":"Assessment of fracture toughness of cemented carbides by coupling introduction of artificial flaws via laser ablation with quantitative fractography","authors":"S. Fooladi Mahani ,&nbsp;C. Liu ,&nbsp;J. Dong ,&nbsp;X. Wen ,&nbsp;G. Ramírez ,&nbsp;B.L. Liu ,&nbsp;L. Llanes","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107682","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107682","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cemented carbides are widely used in structural and tooling applications where high mechanical reliability is essential. Owing to their inherently brittle nature, fracture in these materials is typically governed by the propagation of microstructural or processing-induced flaws. Developing a robust and practical methodology for accurately determining their fracture toughness is therefore critical to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient performance in demanding service conditions. This study proposes to assess fracture toughness by means of a strategy that couples controlled introduction of artificial flaws via nanosecond-pulsed laser ablation with post-mortem analysis of broken surfaces through quantitative fractography. Two fine-grained WC-Co cemented carbide grades, differing in binder content, were selected to examine the proposed approach. Artificial microdimples, designed to control failure initiation sites, were created under optimized laser conditions and subjected to monotonic and cyclic loading in four-point bending. Fractographic analysis provided key parameters, flaw size and mirror radius, for fracture toughness estimation based on mirror-mist-hackle geometry. To validate the approach, additional measurements were carried out using two other methods: indentation fracture toughness and flexural testing of single-edge notched and pre-cracked beams. Statistical analysis showed that the combined controlled defect-quantitative fractography method yields reliable fracture toughness values. They closely match the reference baseline values determined by using tests involving specimens with well-defined through-thickness sharp cracks, and confirm the toughness overestimation often observed in tougher grades when implementing the indentation method.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 107682"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145995330","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":"Additive manufactured porous tantalum scaffold with diamond unit cell: Investigation on mechanical properties and fracture failure behavior","authors":"Guanqi Feng ,&nbsp;Desheng Li ,&nbsp;Xun Chen ,&nbsp;Yizhou Ma ,&nbsp;Jiaxiang Wang ,&nbsp;Xiaojun Ni ,&nbsp;Haishen Chen ,&nbsp;Dachen Zhang ,&nbsp;Xia Jin ,&nbsp;Jingzhou Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107693","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107693","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Additively manufactured porous tantalum scaffolds have demonstrated great potential for bone tissue reconstruction. However, research on the structure based on the diamond unit cell remains limited. This work fabricated diamond unit cells with porosities of 85.5%, 75.3%, and 66.3%, revealing a progressive enhancement in static mechanical characteristics as porosity decreases. The diamond unit cell with a porosity of 66.3% exhibited the highest performance, achieving a compressive yield strength of 42.2 MPa, a tensile strength of 56.2 MPa, and a bending yield strength of 49.9 MPa, with its compressive yield strength falling between those of cancellous bone (2–12 MPa) and cortical bone (100–230 MPa). Furthermore, fatigue strength rose from 3.5 MPa to 29.5 MPa as porosity reduced (with no failure up to 10⁶ cycles). The samples exhibited compressive strains of up to 50% and bending deformation approaching 180° without macroscopic brittle fracture, and no necking was observed after tensile failure. Failures primarily occurred at strut joints or regions containing unmelted tantalum powder in regions. After annealing at 1000 °C, the tensile fracture mode transitioned from quasi-cleavage to ductile dimpled fracture, indicating complete ductility. The annealing process reduced the maximum orientation density of primary texture directions {100} and 〈001〉, reflecting static recrystallization. Although the heat treatment effectively mitigated the localized thermal strains induced by additive manufacturing, its influence on the overall mechanical properties was relatively minor. The fabricated diamond unit cell porous tantalum scaffolds demonstrated mechanical properties comparable to human bone, showcasing excellent plasticity and mechanical reliability, thereby highlighting their substantial possibilities for use in load-bearing bone reconstruction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 107693"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146110060","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}