Enhanced strength and plasticity in a Nb2MoWC0.5 alloy via eutectic dilute carbide

Abstract

Refractory niobium alloys are widely used in aero-engine combustion chambers and rocket propulsion systems. Conventional Nb-based alloys often suffer from insufficient high-temperature strengths or poor room-temperature plasticity. Here we report a strategy to develop a novel Nb2MoWC0.5 niobium alloy with a good strength-plasticity synergy by introducing eutectic NbC carbide. Microstructure characterization reveals that the as-prepared alloy exhibits a hypoeutectic microstructure, in which low-energy eutectic interface remains stable under high-temperature compression up to 1473 K. The stable low-energy metal-carbide interface enables not only a superior high-temperature strength (>1 GPa at 1473 K and 0.61 GPa at 1673 K) but also possesses good room-temperature plasticity (a true plastic strain of 16%) via microcrack tip blunting. The dilute NbC carbide with alloying elements has low stacking fault energy and improved high-temperature plastic deformation. This strategy provides theoretical guidance for designing next-generation high-performance high-temperature alloys to bypass the limitation of alloying elements in conventional refractory alloys.