The International Journal of Refractory Metals and Hard Materials (IJRMHM) publishes original research articles concerned with all aspects of refractory metals and hard materials. Refractory metals are defined as metals with melting points higher than 1800 °C. These are tungsten, molybdenum, chromium, tantalum, niobium, hafnium, and rhenium, as well as many compounds and alloys based thereupon. Hard materials that are included in the scope of this journal are defined as materials with hardness values higher than 1000 kg/mm2, primarily intended for applications as manufacturing tools or wear resistant components in mechanical systems. Thus they encompass carbides, nitrides and borides of metals, and related compounds. A special focus of this journal is put on the family of hardmetals, which is also known as cemented tungsten carbide, and cermets which are based on titanium carbide and carbonitrides with or without a metal binder. Ceramics and superhard materials including diamond and cubic boron nitride may also be accepted provided the subject material is presented as hard materials as defined above.

The journal seeks contributions that investigate novel alloy design concepts; studies of the relationships between chemical composition, microstructure, and properties; novel methods of characterization and testing, novel methods of synthesis and processing, especially those that result in improved or novel microstructures, leading in turn to improved properties and novel applications. Articles focus on methods and processes that reduce material and energy consumption, hence the cost of these materials will also be considered.

The process technologies may include but are not limited to powder synthesis and production technologies (chemical methods, physical methods such as mechanical ball milling); powder compaction and shaping technologies including die compaction, powder injection molding, and 3D printing; and sintering and consolidation processes such as vacuum sintering, hot isostatic pressing, field assisted sintering, and other advanced hot consolidation techniques. However, manuscripts that focus on processes without a clear explanation on how the process can lead to improved microstructure and properties, or reduction of energy consumption and costs are likely discouraged.

This journal also publishes articles dealing with the deposition process and the microstructure and the measurement of selected properties of coatings, provided the coating consists of a material from the groups defined above, and is applied on the surface of a refractory metal or hard material. For eligibility of such articles the material science aspect of the coatings and if applicable their interrelationship with the properties of the coatings is of prime importance. Papers lacking this focus are usually referred to other journals dedicated to surface coating or machining.

IJRMHM aims to bridge the gap between pure research and the more practical aspects of production and properties. In that IJMHM will continue to provide a medium linking together material scientists, engineers, designers and manufacturers working in this field.

Original Paper
Short Communication
Technical Note
Critical Review
Letter to the Editor

Editor-in-Chief
Z.Z. Fang
The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Associate Editors
A.J. Gant
Element Six Ltd, Didcot, United Kingdom
P. Rödhammer
Plansee SE, Reutte, Austria
X. Song
Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, China
Emeritus Editor
H. Ortner
University of Innsbruck
Editorial Board
G. Aggarwal
Hyperion Materials & Technologies, Worthington, Ohio, United States
F. Akhtar
University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan
H.-O. Andrén
Chalmers University of Technology, Goteborg, Sweden
P. Angerer
Materials Center Leoben Forschung GmbH, Leoben, Austria
Q. Bai
Brunel University College of Engineering Design and Physical Sciences, Uxbridge, United Kingdom
J. D. Belnap
Schlumberger Ltd Houston, Houston, Texas, United States
V.P. Bondarenko
National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
A. B. Bose
Materials Processing Inc, Irving, Texas, United States
L. Cornish
University of the Witwatersrand, School of Chemical & Materials/Metallurgical Engineering, WITS, South Africa
R.K. Enneti
Global Tungsten and Powders Corp, Towanda, Pennsylvania, United States
M. Filgueira
State University of Norte Fluminense, Campos dos Goitacazes, Brazil
J.L. Garcia
Sandvik AB Machining Solutions, Stockholm, Sweden
R.M. German
San Diego State University, San Diego, California, United States
R. Haubner
TU Wien University, Wien, Austria
J.L. Johnson
S. Kang
Seoul National University Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Gwanak-gu, Korea, Republic of
M.I. Karpov
Russian Academy of Sciences, Moskva, Russian Federation
H. Kestler
Plansee SE, Reutte, Austria
M.S. Kovalchenko
National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
G. Leichtfried
University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
W. Lengauer
TU Wien University, Wien, Austria
N. Li
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States
L.M. Llanes Pitarch
Polytechnic University of Catalonia Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, Barcelona, Spain
D. Mari
Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
S. Norgren
Sandvik AB, Stockholm, Sweden
S.J. Park
Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Korea, Republic of
B. Roebuck
National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, United Kingdom
M. Roy
DRDO Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory, Hyderabad, India
N. Sacks
University of the Witwatersrand, School of Chemical & Materials/Metallurgical Engineering, WITS, South Africa
H.R.Z. Sandim
University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
V.K. Sarin
Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
P. Schade
Berlin, Germany
J.H. Schneibel
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States
W.D. Schubert
TU Wien University, Wien, Austria
J.A. Shields, Jr.
Mill Creek Materials Consulting, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
L. Sigl
Plansee SE, Reutte, Austria
G.S. Upadhyaya
Materials Consultant, Varanansi, India
C. Wang
Saint-Gobain Northborough Research and Development Center, Northborough, Massachusetts, United States
Q. Wei
University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
B. Zeiler
International Tungsten Industry Association, London, United Kingdom
W. Zhao
WR Grace and Co, Columbia, Maryland, United States