Superhard Materials
The search for superhard materials with superb properties has been one of the most important high-pressure science and technology frontiers. Synthetic diamond and cubic boron nitride (cBN) are the two artificial super-hard materials that have been the most widely used in industry for drilling, cutting and grinding, as well as in high pressure research for anvil preparation to generate ultrahigh pressure. In these applications, superhard materials to replace the traditional hard ceramics have become a clear trend and it is also a typical example of the industrialization of high pressure science and technology. Recently, there has been remarkable progress in the research and development of superhard materials such as ultrafine-grained polycrystalline diamond and cBN, novel superhard materials in light elemental system, and prediction of new superhard materials.
In this special session, we aim to review and exchange ideas on the latest research progress in superhard materials, including, but not limited to, high pressure synthesis of novel superhard materials, large crystal growth of diamond and cBN, nano/micro-polycrystalline diamond & cBN with enhanced hardness and toughness, characterization and new applications of ultrahard materials, and design/prediction of new superhard materials.
Duanwei He, Sichuan University (duanweihe@scu.edu.cn)
