Effects of secondary carbide addition on the mechanical properties of (Ti1-xTMx)C-based 20Ni cermets (TM = V, Mo, and W): a study combining ab initio calculation and experimental results

Abstract

In recent years, significant efforts have been devoted towards the development of high-performance cermets with superior hardness and fracture toughness for engineering applications. In this study, a (Ti1-xTMx)C solid solution of a Ni cermet was prepared based on a combination of ab initio calculation and experimental results. The structural stability, mechanical properties, and microstructure of the cermet were investigated. A screening process was conducted using ab initio calculations to determine the optimal composition of (Ti1-xTMx)C (TM = V, Mo, and W) (x = 0-0.3125). The enhancement of the mechanical properties was analysed by calculating the electronic properties of the (Ti1-xTMx)C solid solutions. Additionally, we evaluated the powder morphology, microstructure, and mechanical properties of (Ti1-xTMx)C-20Ni by using experimental methods. The (Ti0.7W0.3)C-20Ni cermet exhibited enhanced hardness and fracture toughness in relation to conventional TiC-Ni cermets. Computational and experimental results indicated that the addition of secondary carbides improved the overall material properties. [GRAPHICS] .