Identification of B2 Phase in Ta-Re Binary System with High-Temperature Stability
May 15, 2025
(A) SEM revealed the presence of a second nanoscale phase. (B) STEM identified the phase as equiatomic TaRe. (C) Atomic resolution STEM showed the precipitate’s cubic structure, with no clear evidence of B2 ordering. (D) Neutron diffraction spectra matched the BCC matrix, with peak shouldering at higher 2θ angles indicating a secondary cubic phase. (E) A faint {100} superlattice peak confirmed the secondary phase posses the B2 structure.
Scientific Achievement
A stable TaRe B2 phase was first experimentally identified in a Ta65 Re35 alloy up to 1550°C.
Significance and Impact
This discovery enables the design of new refractory superalloys strengthened by Re-based B2 phases for the next-generation of high temperature applications in energy production.
Research Details
- A previously unreported TaRe B2 phase for high-temperature stability, was experimentally confirmed in a Ta₆₅Re₃₅ alloy from 1100°C to 1550°C.
- Neutron diffraction and electron microscopy revealed the coexistence of BCC matrix and B2 phase, validates Density Functional Theory (DFT) predictions and updates thermochemistry databases.
“Multi-modal characterization of the B2 phase in the Ta-Re binary system,” Acta Materialia 293, 121097 (2025)
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2025.121097.
