Intelligent design of cemented carbides and hard coatings
Yong Du
State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha, 410083
EXTENDED ABSTRACT: This report introduces our research results in the development of materials intelligent design software and scientific database, and shows several examples of multi-scale calculations in the design and product development of cemented carbides and hard coatings. (1) An efficient and stable software CALTPP (Calculation of Thermophysical Properties) for the calculation of thermophysical properties of multi-component and multi-phase alloys with independent intellectual property rights has been developed, which can provide thermophysical parameters varying with composition and temperature. (2) The developed multi-scale phase field model can quantitatively simulate the microstructure evolutions under different scales. (3) Based on key experiments, phase diagram calculations and first-principle calculations, a scientific database of cemented carbides and hard coatings with independent intellectual property rights has been established. (4) Based on thermodynamic calculations, thermophysical property calculations and phase field method, the formation mechanism of defect structure in cemented carbide was analyzed, and the gradient layer of gradient cemented carbides, WC grain morphology and microstructure evolution of nano precipitates in composite binder phase have been simulated, so as to design cemented carbide composition and sintering process and further realize industrial production. (5) TiAlN coating was prepared based on the first-principle calculations and physical vapor deposition technology. TiSiCN coating was prepared by chemical vapor deposition technology based on thermodynamic calculations and computational fluid dynamics. Its hardness and cutting performance were better than the existing commercial coatings, and industrial production was realized.
Yong Du is deputy director of State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, and Director of Sino-German Joint Laboratory of Materials Engineering for Integrated Computing of Electrochemical Storage Systems and Sino-German Joint Laboratory of Microstructure. As Humboldt scholar, chief scientist of project 973, leader of Innovation research group of National Foundation of China, winner of National Outstanding Youth, distinguished professor of Changjiang Scholars program, he received his PhD from Central South University in 1992, and then worked in Tokyo Institute of Technology, University of Barcelona, University of Krostel, University of Vienna, and University of Wisconsin for 11 years. He serves as deputy editor-in-chief of the international journals CALPHAD and J. Phase Equili. Diff., editor of the international journals Int. J. Mater. Res., Vacuum and J. Mining & Metall., and 5 domestic journals including Acta Metallurgica Sinica.
His research areas include phase diagram, phase transition, microstructure, structure-property correlation; Al alloys, Mg alloys, Cu alloys, cemented carbides and hard coatings, nuclear materials, high temperature alloys, energy materials, etc. He has won 1 first prize in Natural Science of Hunan province, 1 third prize of National Natural Science, 1 best paper award of International Committee on Phase Diagram, and 5 invention patents. He has published 698 papers in international journals, including 651 SCI papers and nearly 10,000 SCI citations.