Study of as-cast Nb-Ru samples

Abstract

AbstractThe Nb-Ru system is of interest because the ∼NbRu phase has potential for high temperature shape memory alloys. Previous workers have identified the phase transformation variously as involving twinning, of cubic-to-tetragonal and tetragonal–to-orthorhombic (or monoclinic) transformations. As well as the terminal (Nb) and (Ru) solid solutions, two intermetallic phases have been identified: ∼NbRu and ∼NbRu3 / ∼Nb3Ru5 / ∼NbRu2, but the boundaries between the different phases are still not fully established. This investigation looked at six as-cast alloys of different compositions across the Nb-Ru system, which were made from 99.95 % purity Nb and Ru. The samples were made by arc-melting under an argon atmosphere, using titanium as an oxygen-getter. These samples were sectioned and prepared metallographically for optical microscopy, SEM and XRD analyses, the latter using an X’pert database. The phases found were (Nb), (Ru), ∼NbRu and “∼NbRu3”, as expected. Although the samples were mainly homogeneous, there was porosity in the (Ru) phase between the “∼NbRu3” dendrites in the Nb28.5:Ru71.5 at.% sample. The Nb14.2:Ru85.8 at.% sample was mainly single-phase (Ru).