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Mo 0.9 W 1.1 BC and ReWC 0.8 compositions have recently been identified to have exceptional hardness and incompressibility. In this work, these compositions are analyzed via in situ radial X-ray diffraction experiments to comparatively assess lattice strain and texture development. Traditionally, Earth scientists have employed these experiments to enhance understanding of dynamic activity within the deep Earth. However, nonhydrostatic compression experiments provide insight into materials with exceptional mechanical properties, as they help elucidate correlations between structural, elastic, and mechanical properties. Here, analysis of differential strain ( t / G ) and lattice preferred orientation in Mo 0.9 W 1.1 BC suggests that dislocation glide occurs along the (010) plane in orthorhombic Mo 0.9 W 1.1 BC. The (200) and (002) planes support the highest differential strain, while planes which bisect two or three axes, such as the (110) or (191), exhibit relatively lower differential strain. In ReWC 0.8 , which crystallizes in a cubic NaCl-type structure, planar density is correlated to orientation-dependent lattice strain as the low-density (311) plane elastically supports more differential strain than the denser (111), (200), and (220) planes. Furthermore, results indicate that ReWC 0.8 likely supports a higher differential stress t than Mo 0.9 W 1.1 BC and, based on a lack of texture development, bulk plastic yielding is not observed in ReWC 0.8 upon compression to ∼60 GPa.
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Exploring the hardness and high-pressure behavior of osmium and ruthenium-doped rhenium diboride solid solutions
Rhenium diboride (ReB2) exhibits high differential strain due to its puckered boron sheets that impede shear deformation. Here, we demonstrate the use of solid solution formation to enhance the Vickers hardness and differential strain of ReB2. ReB2-structured solid solutions (Re0.98Os0.02B2 and Re0.98Ru0.02B2, noted as “ReOsB2” and “ReRuB2”) were synthesized via arc-melting from the pure elements. In-situ high-pressure radial x-ray diffraction was performed in the diamond anvil cell to study the incompressibility and lattice strain of ReOsB2 and ReRuB2 up to ∼56 GPa. Both solid solutions exhibit higher incompressibility and differential strain than pure ReB2. However, while all lattice planes are strengthened by doping osmium (Os) into the ReB2 structure, only the weakest ReB2 lattice plane is enhanced with ruthenium (Ru). These results are in agreement with the Vickers hardness measurements of the two systems, where higher hardness was observed in ReOsB2. The combination of high-pressure studies with experimentally observed hardness data provides lattice specific information about the strengthening mechanisms behind the intrinsic hardness enhancement of the ReB2 system.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2004616
- PAR ID:
- 10595096
- Publisher / Repository:
- American Institute of Physics
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- APL Materials
- Volume:
- 11
- Issue:
- 3
- ISSN:
- 2166-532X
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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