To study the formation mechanism and stability of the phase in the interface of tungsten carbide particles reinforced iron matrix composites, the composites were fabricated by spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique and combined with first-principles calculation. It was found that Fe 3 W 3 C compound was stable from the perspective of both thermodynamics and mechanical properties based on our calculations. Interfacial reaction product of tungsten carbide particles reinforced iron matrix composites was M 6 C. Experimental results indicated that the samples prepared by SPS did not appear interfacial reaction zone, while, interfacial reaction zone appeared for the remelted samples. With the increasing remelting temperature, the width of the interface reaction zone increased because the mutual diffusion occurred at the interface between tungsten carbide particles and matrix. Its formation mechanism was 3Fe 1 3/2W 2 C ! Fe 3 W 3 C 1 1/2C. Our research might provide a theoretical guidance in controlling the interface of tungsten carbide particles reinforced iron matrix composites.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.