Synthesis and Phase Stability of the High-Entropy Carbide (Ti0.2Zr0.2Nb0.2Ta0.2Mo0.2)C under Extreme Conditions

As a novel ultrahigh temperature ceramic, the stability of a high-entropy transition metal carbide under extreme conditions is of great concern to its application. Despite the intense research, the available high-pressure experimental results are few so far. Here, we synthesized the nanocrystalline (Ti0.2Zr0.2Nb0.2Ta0.2Mo0.2)C by a high-pressure solid-state reaction successfully. Meanwhile, synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction experiments were carried out to explore the phase stability and mechanical response under high pressure. The single cubic B1 phase structure of the high-entropy carbide is retained under extreme hydrostatic pressure. An abnormal cubic-to-cubic phase transition was observed unexpectedly under nonhydrostatic compression. This result reflects the effect of the severe lattice distortion of the initial B1 phase high-entropy carbide and the shear strain caused by deviatoric stress under high nonhydrostatic pressure. The physical mechanism about electronic/magnetic characteristics behind findings is an interesting issue for future studies.