Longitudinal zero thermal expansion in Re-Fe (R = Tb, Er) eutectic alloys with high fracture resistance

Abstract

Longitudinal zero thermal expansion (LZTE) alloys hold unique application potentials due to their size stability along the longitudinal direction and thermal expansion compatibility inside the radial plane. However, they are rare and usually exist in an ordered intermetallic phase that suffers from poor mechanical properties. Here, two novel alloys, Tb_0.05Fe_0.95 and Er_0.04Fe_0.96, were designed and fabricated by hypo-eutectic reaction. The Tb_0.05Fe_0.95 alloy possesses axial zero thermal expansion with an ultralow coefficient of thermal expansion (α₁ = 0.029 × 10^-6 K^-1, 110 to 425 K) and a large ultimate compressive stress (δ_US) of 0.80 GPa with a strain limit of 3.9%, and the Er_0.04Fe_0.96 alloy exhibits axial zero thermal expansion (α₁ = -0.33 × 10^-6 K^-1, 110 to 330 K) and an ultimate compressive stress (δ_US) of 0.73 GPa with a large strain limit of 13.8%. Further studies show that the [001] axis of the hexagonal R₂Fe₁₇ phase (R = Tb, Dy) tends to nucleate and grow along the maximum temperature gradient direction, where the negative thermal expansion of the R₂Fe₁₇ phase is neutralized by the positive thermal expansion of α-Fe and leads to the LZTE. The fractured surface shows that the plastic α-Fe phase hinders the enlargement of micro-cracks from the brittle R₂Fe₁₇ phase, and it leads to plasticity while the matrix R₂Fe₁₇ phase gives rise to high strength. Furthermore, the present LZTE alloys are stable under thermal circulation, which has application prospects for high-precision engineering.

Keywords

Zero thermal expansion / eutectic alloys / high fracture resistance / dual-phase alloys

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