AI Article Synopsis
- Rhenium diboride (ReB2) can be synthesized at ambient pressure using arc-melting, offering a viable alternative to traditional high-pressure methods that require gigapascals of pressure.
- Microindentation tests show that ReB2 has an average hardness of 48 gigapascals and its incompressibility properties match those of diamond, indicating it is superhard.
- With a bulk modulus of 360 gigapascals and the ability to withstand high differential stress, ReB2 shows potential for applications in cutting tools, particularly where carbide formation limits the use of diamonds.
Article Abstract
The quest to create superhard materials rarely strays from the use of high-pressure synthetic methods, which typically require gigapascals of applied pressure. We report that rhenium diboride (ReB2), synthesized in bulk quantities via arc-melting under ambient pressure, rivals materials produced with high-pressure methods. Microindentation measurements on ReB2 indicated an average hardness of 48 gigapascals under an applied load of 0.49 newton, and scratch marks left on a diamond surface confirmed its superhard nature. Its incompressibility along the c axis was equal in magnitude to the linear incompressibility of diamond. In situ high-pressure x-ray diffraction measurements yielded a bulk modulus of 360 gigapascals, and radial diffraction indicated that ReB2 is able to support a remarkably high differential stress. This combination of properties suggests that this material may find applications in cutting when the formation of carbides prevents the use of traditional materials such as diamond.
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