Synthesis and Characterization of (CrMoTaVW)C1+δ High-Entropy Carbide Ceramic

In recent years, high-entropy carbides (HECs) have attracted significant interest due to their exceptional physical properties. This study focuses on the synthesis and characterization of single-phase HEC ceramics with the composition CrMoTaVW)C1+δ. These ceramics were synthesized using commercially available metal-oxide and carbon powders through a carbothermal reduction process. The resultant five-metal carbide powders were densified by spark plasma sintering (SPS) at varying temperatures to control grain size and microstructure. The microstructural and compositional analyses were performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The face-centered cubic (FCC) crystal structure of these compositions was confirmed through X-ray diffraction (XRD), with lattice parameters determined using Rietveld refinement to compare ceramics grown under different conditions. Additionally, this work reports the electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties of these HECs synthesized under various conditions.