Transition metal diborides are ceramic materials with potential applications as hard protective thin films and electrical contact materials. We investigate the possibility to obtain age hardening through isostructural clustering, including spinodal decomposition, or ordering-induced precipitation in ternary diboride alloys. By means of first-principles mixing thermodynamics calculations, 45 ter...

Two compositions of ZrB2-based ceramic composites containing Si3N4, Al2O3 and Y2O3 have been hot-pressed at different temperatures between 1673 and 1773 K for 60 min in vacuum. The densification behavior of the composites was examined during the sintering process. The microstructures of the composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, and the crystalline phases were identified...

The high-velocity impact resistance of hot-pressed zirconum diboride with 30 volume percent silicon carbide was studied using a combined experimental and computational approach. Test specimens in the form of 2 mm thick polished disks were impacted with -0.8 mm diameter tungsten carbide spheres at velocities up to 320 d s . The intrinsic flexure strength of the specimens was -1000 MPa. The flexu...