Phase stability and elasticity of C15 transition-metal intermetallic compounds

First-principle quantum mechanical calculations based on the local-density-functional theory have been performed to study the electronic, physical and metallurgical properties of C15 intermetallics MV{sub 2} (M = Zr, Hf, or Ta). The elastic constants of C15 HfV{sub 2} + Nb were measured by the resonant ultrasound spectroscopy technique. The phase stability of C15 HfV{sub 2} + Nb was studied by specific heat measurements and by transmission electron microscopy in a low temperature specimen holder. The total energies and their lattice volume dependence were used to obtain the equilibrium lattice constants and bulk modulus. The band structures at the X-point near the Fermi level were employed to understand the anomalous temperature dependence of shear modulus of the C15 intermetallics. It was found that the double degeneracy with a linear dispersion relation of electronic levels at the X-point near the Fermi surface is mainly responsible for the C15 anomalous elasticity. The density of states at the Fermi level, N(E{sub F}), and the Fermi surface geometry were obtained to understand the low temperature phase instability of C15 HfV{sub 2} and ZrV{sub 2} and the stability of C15 TaV{sub 2}. It was proposed that the large N(E{sub F}) and Fermi surface nesting are the physical reasons for the structural instability of the C15 HfV{sub 2} and ZrV{sub 2} at low temperatures. The relation between anomalous elasticity and structural instability of C15 HfV{sub 2} and ZrV{sub 2} is also discussed