Effects of rare earth oxide additions on the corrosion resistance of TiC-based cermets

TiC-based cermets have inadequate corrosion resistance despite wide use in high -performance applications. Rare earth dopants like Nd2O3 and Yb2O3 aim to improve cermet properties, but their impacts on corrosion are unclear. This work prepared 0.7 wt% Nd2O3- and Yb2O3-doped TiC cermets via vacuum sintering. Experimental results revealed that Nd2O3 doping enhances corrosion resistance by promoting alpha-FeOOH in corrosion products, while Yb2O3 doping has little effect. First-principles calculations confirmed that Nd promotes alpha-FeOOH formation. By elucidating contrasting dopant impacts on corrosion, this study provides new insights to guide optimization of rare earth-containing cermet compositions for superior corrosion resistance.