Predicting interstitial elements in Refractory Complex Concentrated Alloys

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Huang, Aomin, Zhu, Siya, Belcher, Calvin, Rigsby, Ryker, Apelian, Diran, Arróyave, Raymundo, Lavernia, Enrique J.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Huang, Aomin
Zhu, Siya
Belcher, Calvin
Rigsby, Ryker
Apelian, Diran
Arróyave, Raymundo
Lavernia, Enrique J.
author_facet Huang, Aomin
Zhu, Siya
Belcher, Calvin
Rigsby, Ryker
Apelian, Diran
Arróyave, Raymundo
Lavernia, Enrique J.
contents Refractory complex concentrated alloys, composed of multiple principal refractory elements, are promising candidates for high-temperature structural applications due to their exceptional thermal stability and high melting points. However, their mechanical performance is often compromised by interstitial impurities, particularly oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon, which segregate to grain boundaries and promote embrittlement. In this study, we investigate the solubility and thermodynamic behavior of oxygen interstitials in a model NbTiHfTa RCCA system. We synthesized NbTiHfTa alloys with varying oxygen contents via plasma arc melting and characterized their phase evolution and microstructure using XRD, SEM, and TEM. Complementary computational modeling was performed using machine-learning interatomic potentials integrated with Monte Carlo simulations to probe oxygen interactions at the atomic scale. Our results reveal a solubility limit for oxygen between 0.8 and 1.0 atomic percentage, beyond which HfO2 formation is energetically favorable. This combined experimental-computational framework provides a predictive approach for managing interstitial behavior in RCCAs, enabling improved alloy design strategies for enhanced mechanical performance.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2512_08080
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Predicting interstitial elements in Refractory Complex Concentrated Alloys
Huang, Aomin
Zhu, Siya
Belcher, Calvin
Rigsby, Ryker
Apelian, Diran
Arróyave, Raymundo
Lavernia, Enrique J.
Materials Science
Atomic Physics
Refractory complex concentrated alloys, composed of multiple principal refractory elements, are promising candidates for high-temperature structural applications due to their exceptional thermal stability and high melting points. However, their mechanical performance is often compromised by interstitial impurities, particularly oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon, which segregate to grain boundaries and promote embrittlement. In this study, we investigate the solubility and thermodynamic behavior of oxygen interstitials in a model NbTiHfTa RCCA system. We synthesized NbTiHfTa alloys with varying oxygen contents via plasma arc melting and characterized their phase evolution and microstructure using XRD, SEM, and TEM. Complementary computational modeling was performed using machine-learning interatomic potentials integrated with Monte Carlo simulations to probe oxygen interactions at the atomic scale. Our results reveal a solubility limit for oxygen between 0.8 and 1.0 atomic percentage, beyond which HfO2 formation is energetically favorable. This combined experimental-computational framework provides a predictive approach for managing interstitial behavior in RCCAs, enabling improved alloy design strategies for enhanced mechanical performance.
title Predicting interstitial elements in Refractory Complex Concentrated Alloys
topic Materials Science
Atomic Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.08080