International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials最新文献

{"title":"The development of W-Cr-Al alloys by spark plasma sintering and their oxidation behavior","authors":"Chunyan Li ,&nbsp;Jie Chen ,&nbsp;Andrey Litnovsky ,&nbsp;Christian Linsmeier ,&nbsp;Shuotong Zong ,&nbsp;Yucheng Wu ,&nbsp;Xuejiao Wang ,&nbsp;Junwei Qiao","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107713","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107713","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tungsten-based self-passivating metal alloys with reduced thermo-oxidation (SMART), which using Cr or Si as oxidation-resistant elements, have exhibited great potential for oxidation resistance application at high temperature compared with pure W. In this work, aluminum (Al) was added to W<img>Cr SMART systems to further improve the oxidation resistance, and the novel W-17.8Cr-6.4Al alloys were successfully developed using spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique. The influence of sintering pressure and temperature on the densification process was systematically investigated, and the oxidation behaviors were studied at 800 °C and 1000 °C. The sintering curves exhibit that there is the liquidation of Al above around 630 °C, and the rapid densification of W-Cr-Al alloys starts above 923–950 °C. The intermetallic compounds of (WCr)Al₁₂ and (WCr)Al₄ are generated when sintered at 650 °C and 700 °C, respectively. When sintered above 1000 °C, W-Cr-Al alloys mainly consist of two BCC phases of W-Cr-Al solution. Dense bulk W-Cr-Al alloys, with a density of around 11.6 g/cm³, could be manufactured by sintering above 1200 °C at 20 MPa for 15 min. At the end of oxidation, the oxides formed at 800 °C mainly consist of WO₃, Cr₂WO₆ and Al₂W₃O₁₂, while WO₃ disappears at 1000 °C due to the volatilization of WO₃ and the reaction with Cr₂O₃. In addition, no obvious variation trend of mass gain is observed when oxidized at 800 °C compared with pure W, while a double parabolic trend of mass gain is found during oxidization at 1000 °C. The parabolic oxidation parameter, <span><math><msub><mi>k</mi><mi>p</mi></msub></math></span>, is around (7–8) × 10⁻⁵ mg²/(cm⁴<span><math><mo>∙</mo></math></span>min) and (4–5) × 10⁻⁴ mg²/(cm⁴<span><math><mo>∙</mo></math></span>min), respectively. Compared to the linear oxidation behavior of pure W, W-Cr-Al alloys exhibit its potential for oxidation resistance application at high temperature.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 107713"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146089209","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":"Preparation of RHEA/Fe alloy bond diamond tools for dry grinding of silicon nitride","authors":"Tao He ,&nbsp;Feng-lin Zhang ,&nbsp;Wei-jian Yang ,&nbsp;Xin zhou ,&nbsp;Xiao-yi Pan ,&nbsp;Yu-mei Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107711","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107711","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Dry grinding of hard and brittle materials has received increasing attention due to the environmental issues associated with using coolants and the need for machine tooling under dry conditions. However, during dry grinding, the high grinding temperature may induce thermal deformation of traditional metal bonds and accelerate the wear of diamond tools. In the present study, a refractory high-entropy alloy (RHEA) was introduced into Fe alloy to serve as the metal bond of diamond tool in order to improve the dry grinding performance. First, RHEA powders (composed of WMoTaNbV) were prepared by discharge plasma ball milling (DPBM) as well as planetary milling (PM) for comparison. The effect of ball milling time on the microstructure of RHEA powder was examined. Then, RHEA/Fe alloy was prepared by hot-press sintering, and the microstructures, mechanical properties and wear resistance of sintered RHEA/Fe alloys with different contents of RHEA were investigated. Finally, a RHEA/Fe alloy bond diamond tool was prepared to evaluate the dry grinding performance on a silicon nitride ceramic. The results indicated that RHEA powder was successfully synthesized by DPBM milling for only 15 h, which was a much shorter duration compared to PM method. With increasing RHEA content in the range of 0-20 wt%, the relative density of RHEA/Fe alloys decreased, but the hardness, compressive strength, and wear resistance increased. Good bonding was achieved between 20wt.%RHEA/Fe alloy and diamond grits in the synthesized diamond tool at the sintering temperature of 1050 °C. During dry grinding of silicon nitride ceramic, the diamond tool based on 20wt.%RHEA/Fe bond exhibited a lower grinding force, higher grinding ratio, and reduced wear in comparison with commercial Fe alloy bond diamond tool, showing excellent potential for the dry grinding of ceramics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 107711"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146089225","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":"2026-01-29","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":"Promoted room-temperature deformability and strength synergy in Nb-Mo-Ta-W-Ti refractory high-entropy alloys via carbon doping","authors":"Chaofan Yu, Lixian Lian, Ziming Bao, Rui Zhang, Ying Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107696","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107696","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":14216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials","volume":"28 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146072309","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":"Unlubricated fretting wear of a hard B12(C,Si,B)3–SiC composite reactively sintered from B4C with Si aids","authors":"Antonio Fernández-Ortiz,&nbsp;Victor Zamora,&nbsp;Fernando Guiberteau,&nbsp;Angel L. Ortiz","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107707","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107707","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The fretting wear behaviour of a hard B₁₂(C,Si,B)₃–SiC composite fabricated by reactive spark plasma sintering (SPS) at only 1400 °C from B₄C with 20 vol% Si aids was evaluated under 1-N and 5-N loads without lubrication against three ceramic materials of different hardness (diamond, Al₂O₃., and borosilicate glass). The results were compared with those of B₄C monoliths SPS-ed at 1400 °C and 2000 °C. First, the B₁₂(C,Si,B)₃–SiC composite exhibited lower wear under the 1-N load than under the 5-N load, and its specific fretting rate (SFR) increased with decreasing hardness of the counterpart, which was attributed to greater damage of the latter causing rougher contacts with more abundant wear debris. Nevertheless, the composite demonstrated excellent fretting resistance, having undergone very mild two-body abrasion against diamond (SFR = 10⁻⁷–10⁻⁸ mm³/(N·m)) and very mild or mild three-body abrasion against Al₂O₃ (SFR = 10⁻⁷ mm³/(N·m)) and borosilicate glass (SFR = 10⁻⁶ mm³/(N·m)). Second, owing to its fully dense, fine-grained duplex microstructure and high hardness (28.7 ± 0.8 GPa), the B₁₂(C,Si,B)₃–SiC composite exhibited a significantly higher fretting resistance than the porous B₄C monolith SPS-ed using the same cycle and slightly higher fretting resistance than the well-densified, super-hard (35.6 ± 0.8 GPa) B₄C monolith SPS-ed at 2000 °C, with the added advantage of requiring a substantially lower SPS temperature.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 107707"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146072653","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":"Influence of rolling reduction and annealing on recrystallization and grain structure in Ta-2.5W alloys","authors":"P.D. Paradise,&nbsp;R.P. Sankaran,&nbsp;M. Koelle,&nbsp;J.R. Boro,&nbsp;J.T. McKeown,&nbsp;T.Y. Han,&nbsp;S.R. Qiu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107708","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107708","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The microstructural evolution of wrought Tantalum - 2.5 wt% Tungsten (Ta-2.5W) alloys during thermomechanical processing is critical for optimizing their mechanical reliability in demanding applications such as aerospace, chemical processing, and nuclear technology. Despite the widespread use of Ta-W alloys, a comprehensive understanding of how rolling reduction, annealing temperature, and elemental inhomogeneity interact to determine recrystallization behavior and grain refinement remains incomplete. In this study, we systematically investigate the effects of cold rolling and subsequent annealing on the microstructure of Ta-2.5W, with particular attention to grain orientation, stored energy, and elemental banding. Our results demonstrate that higher rolling reduction rates lower the onset and completion temperatures for recrystallization, resulting in finer and more homogeneous grain structures. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis reveals that grains with a 〈111〉 parallel to the plate normal possess higher stored energy and nucleate recrystallization more readily than grains with a 〈001〉 parallel to the plate normal. Elemental mapping shows that tungsten inhomogeneity leads to localized bands of accelerated recrystallization and hardness variation. These findings provide new insights into the mechanisms of microstructure refinement in Ta-2.5W alloys, offering guidance for tailoring processing routes to achieve superior performance in demanding engineering environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 107708"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146071503","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":"Corrigendum to “Effect of powder characteristics on shrinkage kinetics of WC-Co-Cr Zn-reclaimed submicron powders” [International Journal of Refractory Metals and Hard Materials vol. 136 (2026) 107603]","authors":"L. Muñoz-Ortuño ,&nbsp;T. Soria-Biurrun ,&nbsp;A. Vornberger ,&nbsp;J. Pötschke ,&nbsp;J. Ronkainen ,&nbsp;T. Karhumaa ,&nbsp;J.M. Sánchez-Moreno","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107680","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107680","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":14216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials","volume":"137 ","pages":"Article 107680"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146073974","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":"Experimental investigation on rear-side fragmentation and damage of steel targets penetrated by tungsten fiber-reinforced bulk metallic glass composites","authors":"Lizhi Xu ,&nbsp;Mingyang Wang ,&nbsp;Xuan Zhou ,&nbsp;Zhanxuan Wang ,&nbsp;Jun He ,&nbsp;Yongkang Zhou ,&nbsp;Zhengkun Li ,&nbsp;Zhonghua Du","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107689","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107689","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tungsten fiber-reinforced bulk metallic glass composites (BMGCs) are high-strength, high-density materials with exceptional penetration capabilities, post-target fragmentation, and energy-release damage effects, making them highly valuable in defense applications. This study investigates a Zr-based BMGC (composition: Zr_40.08Ti_13.30Cu_11.84Ni_0.07Nb_24.7) with a density of 12 g/cm³. Quasi-static/dynamic compression tests and ballistic experiments were conducted to systematically analyze its mechanical properties under varying strain rates and post-penetration fragmentation and damage effects. Results indicate that BMGCs exhibit high strength (ultimate strength of 1656 MPa) and plastic deformation under quasi-static loading, while dynamic loading induces brittle fracture and strain-rate softening (strength reduced to ∼1120 MPa at 1508 s⁻¹). Ballistic tests reveal that BMGCs form a fragmented cloud after penetrating steel targets. Within the velocity range of 864–1407 m/s, the post-target damage mode transitions from shear plugging to tensile-dominated “petal” failure. The post-target damage area initially increases and decreases with velocity, peaking at 1325 m/s. Fragment size analysis shows that higher velocities increase the proportion of small fragments and their dispersion area, reducing the kinetic energy density per unit area and diminishing damage efficiency.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 107689"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146047860","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":"Corrigendum to ‘Study of fracture behavior and mechanical property of WC-6.5wt%co regenerated cemented carbides doped rare earth oxides’ [International Journal of Refractory Metals and Hard Materials Volume 135, February 2026, 107535]","authors":"Youxing He,&nbsp;Chang Jiang,&nbsp;Song Zeng,&nbsp;Yusong Guo,&nbsp;Xiang Wan,&nbsp;Jiuming Yu,&nbsp;Linwei Zhang,&nbsp;Lei Lu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107656","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107656","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":14216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials","volume":"137 ","pages":"Article 107656"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146032931","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":"Surface deformation and damage evolution mechanism in grinding of WC-Al0.5CoCrFeNi high-entropy cemented carbide","authors":"Ziyi Zhao ,&nbsp;Jin Du ,&nbsp;Guosheng Su ,&nbsp;Peirong Zhang ,&nbsp;Binxun Li ,&nbsp;Yujing Sun ,&nbsp;Chonghai Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107683","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2026.107683","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cemented carbide is a typical difficult-to-machine material used in machine tool components. The grinding process is an effective method for achieving the desired shape and dimensional accuracy of cemented carbide parts. The deformation mechanisms and damage behavior of the ground surface depend on the grinding parameters. In this study, WC–Al₀.₅CoCrFeNi high-entropy cemented carbide (WC-HEA) was fabricated via vacuum gas-pressure composite sintering. Grinding experiments were conducted to analyze the phase composition, microstructure, deformation mechanisms, and damage behavior of the ground surface. A refined surface layer composed of both amorphous and nanocrystalline phases formed on the machined surface. The dominant damage behavior of WC grains within the refinement layer was fracture and microcracking. The severity of brittle damage and binder-phase deformation on the ground surface increased with grinding depth and feed rate. Under a high grinding strain rate, grain pull-out, brittle fragmentation, and cracking were reduced. Therefore, the surface exhibited lower roughness and fewer brittle damage defects. In addition, elevated strain rates promoted a deformation mechanism in the Al_0.5CoCrFeNi binder phase, characterized by twinning and solid-state amorphization. This plastic deformation mechanism suppresses phase transformation defects. The findings of this study clarify the deformation mechanisms and damage behavior of WC-HEA under various grinding parameters, providing a theoretical basis for the efficient and high-quality processing of WC-HEA.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 107683"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146032910","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}