Processing and Properties of High-Entropy Ultra-High Temperature Carbides

Bulk equiatomic (Hf-Ta-Zr-Ti)C and (Hf-Ta-Zr-Nb)C high entropy Ultra-High Temperature Ceramic (UHTC) carbide compositions were fabricated by ball milling and Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). It was found that the lattice parameter mismatch of the component monocarbides is a key factor for predicting single phase solid solution formation. The processing route was further optimised for the (Hf-Ta-Zr-Nb)C composition to produce a high purity, single phase, homogeneous, bulk high entropy material (99% density); revealing a vast new compositional space for the exploration of new UHTCs. One sample was observed to chemically decompose; indicating the presence of a miscibility gap. While this suggests the system is not thermodynamically stable to room temperature, it does reveal further potential for the development of new in situ formed UHTC nanocomposites. The optimised material was subjected to nanoindentation testing and directly compared to the constituent mono/binary carbides, revealing a significantly enhanced hardness (36.1 ± 1.6 GPa,) compared to the hardest monocarbide (HfC, 31.5 ± 1.3 GPa) and the binary (Hf-Ta)C (32.9 ± 1.8 GPa).