Predicting Coherent B2 Stability in Ru-Containing Refractory Alloys Through Thermodynamic Elastic Design Maps

Abstract

Ruthenium-based B2 intermetallics are promising for refractory superalloys but are limited by the trade-off between high thermodynamic stability and elastic precipitation strain. We present a physics-guided machine learning framework integrating high-throughput Density Functional Theory (DFT), Random Forest screening, and Symbolic Regression to navigate this design space. This approach resolves the paradox where stoichiometric compounds like RuHf fail to achieve theoretical solvus temperatures. By deriving a closed-form physical law, we quantify the strain penalty: a 1% lattice misfit reduces the solvus temperature by approximately 200 degrees C. This finding confirms that maximizing thermodynamic driving force alone is insufficient. We demonstrate that multi-component alloying is structurally necessary, identifying ternary additions such as Al and Ti as essential lattice-tuning agents that zero out the elastic penalty. This framework establishes a rigorous, constraint-based protocol for alloy design, enabling the precise engineering of zero-misfit, high-stability microstructures.