A computational alloy design framework for the promotion of amorphous grain boundary complexions

Fuente: arXiv
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Autores principales: Sharma, Prince, Marian, Jaime, Trelewicz, Jason R., Rupert, Timothy J.
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2026
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author Sharma, Prince
Marian, Jaime
Trelewicz, Jason R.
Rupert, Timothy J.
author_facet Sharma, Prince
Marian, Jaime
Trelewicz, Jason R.
Rupert, Timothy J.
contents Amorphous grain boundary complexions have been shown to be radiation tolerant interfaces that can also reduce grain boundary embrittlement, marking them as favorable microstructural features. However, the incorporation of these features into new alloy systems is often a slow and arduous process based on trial and error. Here, a computational framework for alloy design is presented which enables the selection of dopants that promote the formation of amorphous grain boundary complexions. This framework is primarily built on density functional theory calculations and is demonstrated for W-rich binary and ternary alloys, which represent a promising target for fusion energy materials. Our framework first evaluates the grain boundary segregation tendency of dopants and then the energy penalty for amorphization alongside targeted interfacial energy comparison, with the end goal of identifying the best dopants. For a W base, Y and some transition metals such as Co and Ni are found to significantly lower these energetic barriers. Electronic structure analysis, local lattice distortion, and charge density distributions are calculated and used to provide mechanistic explanations for these dopant selections. Finally, the framework is validated by comparing with experimental literature for W alloys and a refractory complex concentrated alloy, showing a strong correlation between our dopant selections and low sintering onset temperatures that have been attributed to activated sintering. As a whole, this work establishes a transferable pipeline for designing alloys with grain-boundary complexions across diverse alloy systems.
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id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_20547
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publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A computational alloy design framework for the promotion of amorphous grain boundary complexions
Sharma, Prince
Marian, Jaime
Trelewicz, Jason R.
Rupert, Timothy J.
Materials Science
Amorphous grain boundary complexions have been shown to be radiation tolerant interfaces that can also reduce grain boundary embrittlement, marking them as favorable microstructural features. However, the incorporation of these features into new alloy systems is often a slow and arduous process based on trial and error. Here, a computational framework for alloy design is presented which enables the selection of dopants that promote the formation of amorphous grain boundary complexions. This framework is primarily built on density functional theory calculations and is demonstrated for W-rich binary and ternary alloys, which represent a promising target for fusion energy materials. Our framework first evaluates the grain boundary segregation tendency of dopants and then the energy penalty for amorphization alongside targeted interfacial energy comparison, with the end goal of identifying the best dopants. For a W base, Y and some transition metals such as Co and Ni are found to significantly lower these energetic barriers. Electronic structure analysis, local lattice distortion, and charge density distributions are calculated and used to provide mechanistic explanations for these dopant selections. Finally, the framework is validated by comparing with experimental literature for W alloys and a refractory complex concentrated alloy, showing a strong correlation between our dopant selections and low sintering onset temperatures that have been attributed to activated sintering. As a whole, this work establishes a transferable pipeline for designing alloys with grain-boundary complexions across diverse alloy systems.
title A computational alloy design framework for the promotion of amorphous grain boundary complexions
topic Materials Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.20547