Abstract
Interdiffusion of Zr and Hf in the diboride system was investigated. High-purity zirconium diboride (ZrB2) and hafnium diboride (HfB2) were prepared by a combination of boro-/carbothermal reduction synthesis and densification by spark plasma sintering. The bulk ceramics had relative densities of 99.3% for ZrB2 and 99.7% for HfB2, and both ceramics were phase-pure by x-ray diffraction analysis. Diffusion couples of ZrB2 and HfB2 were annealed at temperatures ranging from 2000°C to 2200°C for times from 4 to 12 h. Zr and Hf elemental concentration profiles were measured using energy dispersive spectroscopy and analyzed using an algorithm based on a Boltzmann transformation of Fick's second law. The interdiffusion coefficients increased as the annealing temperature elevated, which indicates that the interdiffusion was a thermally activated process. The diffusion rate of Hf in ZrB2 is smaller than that of Zr in HfB2 due to the larger atomic mass and stronger bonding strength.
Recommended Citation
Y. Zhou et al., "Zirconium and Hafnium Interdiffusion Study in ZrB2–HfB2 System," Journal of the American Ceramic Society, vol. 109, no. 2, article no. e70590, Wiley, Feb 2026.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1111/jace.70590
Department(s)
Materials Science and Engineering
Publication Status
Full Access
Keywords and Phrases
characterization; diffusion couple; HfB2; interdiffusion; ZrB2
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
1551-2916; 0002-7820
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2026 Wiley, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
01 Feb 2026
Comments
Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Grant FA9550-22-1-0064