Strength-plasticity synergy from ambient to high temperature via gradient-ordering in boride-reinforced WTaV medium-entropy alloy.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 41271733.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-025-66617-8 and PMC identifier 12749457.
- Licence recorded as CC BY-NC-ND.
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Abstract
Developing next-generation hypersonic vehicles necessitates structural materials capable of withstanding extreme thermal gradients. However, conventional alloys usually sacrifice room-temperature plasticity for breakthroughs in high-temperature strength. Here, we report a (WTaV)<sub>90</sub>B<sub>10</sub> refractory medium-entropy alloy (RMEA) that overcomes this trade-off, showing decent plasticity of ~6% at ambient temperature, high yield strength of 650 MPa at 1873 K and 242 MPa at 2073 K, and excellent thermal stability up to ~0.7 T<sub>m</sub>. The RMEA comprises a BCC metallic solid solution and a boride phase. Interfacial segregation of boron atoms generates gradient-ordering phase boundaries (GOPBs), enhancing stress transfer and plastic compatibility. Strong interfacial bonding of GOPBs and the inherent stability of the dual-phase structure further enable remarkable resistance to ultrahigh-temperature softening. At 2073 K, GOPBs evolve into fully coherent interfaces, ensuring exceptional thermal stability at ~0.7 T<sub>m</sub>. This work demonstrates a gradient-ordering strategy for achieving strength-plasticity synergy from ambient to ultrahigh temperatures.