Abstract:In the present study, the influence of substitutional elements (Ti and Al) on the structural stability, mechanical properties, electronic properties and Debye temperature of Ta 5 Si 3 with a D8 m structure were investigated by first principle calculations. The Ta 5 Si 3 alloyed with Ti and Al shows negative values of formation enthalpies, indicating that these compounds are energetically stable. Based on the values of formation enthalpies, Ti exhibits a preferential occupying the Ta 4b site and Al has a strong site preference for the Si 8h site. From the values of the bulk modulus (B), shear modulus (G) and Young's modulus (E), we determined that both Ti and Al additions decrease both the shear deformation resistance and the elastic stiffness of D8 m structured Ta 5 Si 3 . Using the shear modulus/bulk modulus ratio (G/B), Poisson's ratio (υ) and Cauchy's pressure, the effect of Ti and Al additions on the ductility of D8 m -structured Ta 5 Si 3 are explored. The results show that Ti and Al additions reduce the hardness, resulting in solid solution softening, but improve the ductility of D8 m -structured Ta 5 Si 3 . The electronic calculations reveal that Ti and Al additions change hybridization between Ta-Si and Si-Si atoms for the binary D8 m -structured Ta 5 Si 3 . The new Ta-Al bond is weaker than the Ta-Si covalent bonds, reducing the covalent property of bonding in D8 m -structured Ta 5 Si 3 , while the new strong Ti 4b -Ti 4b anti-bonding enhances the metallic behavior of the binary D8 m -structured Ta 5 Si 3 . The change in the nature of bonding can well explain the improved ductility of D8 m -structured Ta 5 Si 3 doped by Ti and Al. Moreover, the Debye temperatures, Θ D , of D8 m -structured Ta 5 Si 3 alloying with Ti and Al are decreased as compared to the binary Ta 5 Si 3 .