Ultrastiff carbides uncovered in first principles.

The authors have computationally designed ultraincompressible materials, namely, rhenium carbide, in the WC and NiAs structures with a very high shear modulus. The corresponding calculated bulk modulus is comparable with that of diamond. Especially for the WC-typed rhenium carbide (ReC), the incompressibility along the c axis is demonstrated to exceed the linear incompressibility of diamond. The unique mechanical properties would make it suitable for applications under extreme conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]