MedeA® Application Notes for Drilling & Mining

Ab Initio calculations (VASP) correctly predict the monoclinic phase to be the most stable at low temperatures, followed by the tetragonal, and the high-temperature cubic phases. The structural information and heat of formation obtained provide a sound starting point for calculations of thermodynamic properties.

In many metal-ceramic composites the interface between the metallic and ceramic phases determines the mechanical properties of the material. A prominent example is the WC-Co composite, where the combination of high WC hardness and Co ductility results in advantageous mechanical properties for applications in the tool manufacturing industry. The outstanding performance of WC-Co can be explained by the low interface energies (high stability) of the contacting surfaces of WC and Co.

Interface Energy of Metal-Ceramic Interface Co/WC Using ab initio  Thermodynamics

Calculation of elastic properties is straightforward with MedeA®'s Mechanical and Thermal Properties module.

Elastic Properties of Diamond

The insertion of interstitial impurities in a host lattice causes local deformations of the lattice. The
purpose of this case study is the comparison of such deformations caused by boron and fluorine
impurities in a silver lattice.

Deformation of Silver Lattice by Interstitial Boron and Fluorine Impurities