Microstructure and Compression Properties of V_SS‑V₃B₂ Eutectic Alloys in the V-Si-B System

The present study reports on the microstructural evolution and room temperature plasticity of V(‑Si)‑B alloys with respect to the V solid solution (V_SS)‑V₃B₂ phase region. To investigate the occurring effects systematically, different binary V‑B and ternary V‑Si‑B alloys were produced by conventional arc melting. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analyses and X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements were used to characterize the resulting as-cast microstructures. For the first time, the eutectic composition was systematically traced from the binary V‑B domain to the ternary V‑Si‑B system. The observations discover that the binary eutectic trough (V_SS‑V₃B₂) seems to reach into the ternary system up to an alloy composition of V‑5Si‑9B. Room temperature compression tests were carried out in order to study the impact of single-phase and multi-phase microstructures on the strength and plasticity of binary and ternary alloys. The results indicate that the V_SS phase controls the plastic deformability in the V_SS‑V₃B₂ eutectic microstructure whereas the intermetallic V₃B₂ acts as a strong hardening phase.