Compressibility and strength of nanocrystalline tungsten boride under compression to 60 GPa

Journal Article · Fri Jun 15 04:00:00 EDT 2012 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4728208· OSTI ID:22089247

Haini, Dong ^[1]; Dorfman, Susannah M.; Duffy, Thomas S. ^[2]; Ying, Chen; Haikuo, Wang; Jianghua, Wang; Duanwei, He ^[1]; Jiaqian, Qin ^[3]

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1. Institute of Atomic and Molecular Physics, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065 (China)
2. Department of Geosciences, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 (United States)
3. Geodynamics Research Center, Ehime University Bunkyo-cho 2-5, Matsuyama 790-8577 (Japan)

The compression behavior and stress state of nanocrystalline tungsten boride (WB) were investigated using radial x-ray diffraction (RXRD) in a diamond-anvil cell under non-hydrostatic compression up to 60.4 GPa. The compression properties and stress state are analyzed using lattice strain theory. Experiments were conducted at beamline X17C of the National Synchrotron Light Source. The radial x-ray diffraction data yield a bulk modulus that is qualitatively consistent with density functional theory calculations and demonstrate that WB is a highly incompressible material. A maximum differential stress, t, of about 14 GPa can be supported by nanocrystalline WB at the highest pressure. This corresponds to about 5% of the shear modulus, G, which is smaller than the values of t/G ({approx}8%-10%) observed for BC{sub 2}N, B{sub 6}O, TiB{sub 2}, and {gamma}-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} at high pressures. Thus, while WB is highly incompressible, its strength is relatively low at high pressures compared to other hard ceramics.

• OSTI ID: 22089247
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 111; ISSN JAPIAU; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
CERAMICS
COMPRESSIBILITY
CRYSTALS
DENSITY FUNCTIONAL METHOD
NANOSTRUCTURES
PRESSURE RANGE GIGA PA
SILICON NITRIDES
STRAINS
STRESSES
TITANIUM BORIDES
TUNGSTEN BORIDES
X-RAY DIFFRACTION