What’s New in Thermo-Calc 2026b? Full Release Guide

Thermo-Calc 2026b was released on June 24, 2026, and it’s one of the more substantial updates in recent versions. The headline answer to “what’s new in Thermo-Calc 2026b” is: a brand-new Property Navigator wizard, project loading that’s 2.2x faster on average, an expanded flow-stress model for titanium alloys, evaporation modeling in the Additive Manufacturing Module, two major Precipitation Module (TC-PRISMA) upgrades, a much-simplified TC-Python workflow, and nine new plus four updated databases — including a renamed TCNI14 that now covers Co-based superalloys and hydrogen.

Below is a complete breakdown of every new feature, what changed from Thermo-Calc 2026a, and who should prioritize upgrading.

Thermo-Calc 2026b Release Date and Version Info

• Release date: June 24, 2026
• Previous version: Thermo-Calc 2026a (released January 2026)
• Release cadence: Thermo-Calc ships two major versions per year (an “a” release and a “b” release)
• Compatibility: Projects created in 2025b, 2026a, and earlier open normally in 2026b

1. Property Navigator: What It Actually Does

This is the single most-asked-about feature in the 2026b release, so it’s worth explaining clearly. The Property Navigator is a new wizard built into the Property Model Calculator that walks you through four steps instead of requiring you to already know which Property Model supports which output:

1. Select your material category (steel, aluminum, nickel superalloy, titanium, noble metal, etc.)
2. Select your processing route — Casting/welding/AM, Isothermal treatment, or Annealing/Quench & Temper
3. Select the target property you want predicted (hardness, yield strength, UTS, Young’s modulus, stress-strain curve, etc.)
4. Click Finish — the Navigator auto-selects the compatible Property Model(s) and database(s) and configures the calculation and plot for you

Why this matters: before 2026b, figuring out which Property Model covered which property meant digging through documentation or running calculations speculatively. The Navigator removes that guesswork — though you can still review and fine-tune the setup manually afterward.

Availability: included free in every Thermo-Calc 2026b install as part of the standard Property Model Calculator, along with the 13 General Models. It supports General, Nickel, Titanium, and Noble Metal Alloy Models, plus most Steel Model Library models (CCT/TTT diagram templates are the one exception). Material-specific Model Libraries are sold separately if you need expanded coverage.

2. Faster Loading: How Much Faster Is Thermo-Calc 2026b?

Thermo-Calc 2026b loads saved projects and templates 2.2x faster on average than 2026a/2025b, according to Thermo-Calc’s own benchmarking — with the actual speedup ranging higher or lower depending on calculation type. The mechanism: instead of populating the project tree node-by-node while loading (which is what caused the old “stuttering” feel), 2026b builds the whole tree at once and shows a progress bar while it works. No functionality changed — it’s a pure performance and UX win, and Thermo-Calc has said further loading-time work is planned for future releases.

3. Titanium Alloy Strength Model Now Predicts Full Flow Stress

The Alloy Strength – Ti Property Model (Titanium Model Library) is no longer limited to hardness and yield strength. In 2026b it predicts the full flow stress curve: hardness, stress at any given strain, yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, Young’s modulus, and more.

It also adds an option to account for α′ and α″ martensite formation and its effect on hardness/flow stress — if you flag an alloy as martensite-susceptible, the model now asks for a Quench Temperature alongside the existing Annealing Temperature field. Note that the old “legacy” strength quantities have been replaced by the new ones (hardness outputs are unchanged). A new example, PM_Ti_03_Flow_stress_Ti_base_alloys, demonstrates the model on Ti-6Al-4V and related compositions.

4. Additive Manufacturing Module: Evaporation Modeling

This is a genuinely new capability, not an incremental tweak. The AM Module can now simulate composition change caused by evaporation during laser/electron-beam printing — relevant because volatile alloying elements can boil off under high heat input, pulling the printed part out of specification and degrading strength, hardness, ductility, tempering response, and corrosion resistance.

The new “Evaporation with Steady-state” calculation type simulates multi-track, multi-layer builds and reports the average composition per track and for the final part, plus the composition of the evaporated gas. Three new plot quantities and a new Composition History tab were added for visualizing the results, and everything is exportable to a table. Thermo-Calc validated the model against published IN939 multi-track experimental data (Mukherjee et al., 2024) and the agreement was strong. The feature is also exposed in TC-Python, with new examples in both GUI (AM_16_Composition_Change_Evaporation.tcu) and Python (pyex_AM_13_Composition_change.py).

5. TC-Python: Property Model Setup No Longer Uses Raw Strings

Previously, configuring a Property Model Calculation in TC-Python meant typing exact string arguments that weren’t fully documented — get one slightly wrong and you’d often have to run the calculation (or check the GUI) just to find the valid value. 2026b replaces that with a new PropertyModelSelection factory class plus a new “Property Model Definitions” reference directory covering every Argument, ArgumentOption, and Result for each model — with IDE-popup-compatible documentation and a dedicated TC-Python API Reference page. Net effect: fewer input errors, faster setup, better autocomplete.

6. Precipitation Module (TC-PRISMA): Two Major Upgrades

6a. Matrix Phase Switching Mid-Simulation

A new “Allow for matrix switch” option lets the matrix phase change between two predefined phases during a single precipitation run — for example austenite switching to ferrite as a steel cools through a heat-treatment cycle. The switch can trigger on temperature or on thermodynamic driving force. This matters because in real heat treatments the “parent” phase often isn’t stable for the whole process, and previously TC-PRISMA couldn’t follow that transition within one simulation. New example: P_18_Tool_Steel_Matrix_Switch.tcu (~30 min runtime).

6b. Nucleation on an Existing Precipitate

Precipitates can now nucleate directly on other precipitates (in both GUI and TC-Python), where previously only bulk, grain boundaries, grain edges, grain corners, or dislocations were valid nucleation sites. This unlocks modeling of: inoculation (an existing dispersion seeding new precipitates), GP-zone-to-different-phase transitions, complex multi-phase sequences in Al/Mg alloys, and co-precipitation such as γ″ nucleating on γ′ in Ni superalloys. Thermo-Calc validated it against the β″→β′ transition in Al-Si-Mg alloys (Myhr et al., 2001) with a good match on mean radius and number density over time. New TC-Python method: .set_nucleation_upon_precipitates(precipitate1, site_per_particle, wetting_angle).

7. TQ-Interface Gains Access to GES6 Physical Properties

TQ-Interface now works with Gibbs Energy System 6 (GES6), unlocking physical properties that require it — most notably surface tension and elastic moduli. The SDK still defaults to GES5 for backward compatibility; switch with the new TQSET_GES_VERSION(version) subroutine (valid values: 5 or 6). Separately, TQ-Interface users still on a Single User Node Locked License (SUNLL) can now migrate to the newer LicenseSpring user-credential system — Thermo-Calc says all remaining legacy-licensed users, including network licenses, will be migrated by the 2027a release.

Thermo-Calc 2026b Database Updates: 9 New, 4 Updated

New Databases

Database	What Changed
TCNI14 (renamed: TCS Nickel and Cobalt-based Superalloys)	Now covers Co-based superalloys, not just Ni-based. Adds Hydrogen as a 31st element, 20 new phases (16 hydrides), 21 new H-containing binaries, 11 new ternaries. Enables H-solubility and lattice expansion predictions.
MOBNI7 (mobility)	Adds Hydrogen; new/reassessed FCC_A1 binaries and ternaries. Enables H-diffusion phase-transformation simulations.
TCAL11 (Aluminium)	4 new binaries, 12 new ternaries, 1 new quaternary, 723 phases total. Adds elastic properties (BCC, FCC, HCP) — enables elastic modulus calculations for Al alloys.
TCSALT3 (Molten Salts)	Adds C, N, Nd, S — including neodymium as a cation and nitrate/nitrite/carbonate/sulfate anions. 107 new phases. Targets thermal-energy-storage and molten-salt-electrolysis applications.
TCCU7 (Copper)	Adds S and Ta; 53 new phases, 26 new binaries, 15 new ternaries. Ta addition targets high-temperature, harsh-environment Cu alloys.
MOBCU6 (Cu mobility)	Adds S, Ta and 6 new phases including BCC and GAMMA structures — enables brass kinetics and reactive-diffusion simulations.
TCUHTM3 (Ultra-High Temperature Materials)	Adds Al, Cr, Nb, Ti, V; 120 new phases. Extends coverage to MAX-phase materials (layered carbide/nitride ceramics).
TCMG9 (Magnesium)	Revised Gd–Mg system for age-hardening simulations in TC-PRISMA; reassessed Ca–Mg–Zn, Ce–Mg–Zn, Nd–Mg–Zn; adds elastic properties.
TCHEA9 (High Entropy Alloys)	Major Heusler phase remodel using DFT-calculated formation energies; 17 new phases, 86 new ternaries.

Updated Databases (free for current Maintenance & Support subscribers)

• TCFE14.1 / TCFE15.1 (Steel and Fe-alloys) — improved B-Cr-Fe-N system, gas-phase corrections, new Se-binary viscosities
• TCMG8.1 (Magnesium) — corrects BCC_B2 molar volume in the Al-Fe-Ni system
• TCOX15.1 (Metal Oxide Solutions) — updated electrical resistivity for anorthite and liquid phases

Thermo-Calc 2026b vs. 2026a: What Changed Between Versions

2026a (January 2026) focused on Equilibrium Calculator workflow improvements — letting users suspend or set phases to dormant directly in the calculator without reloading the database. 2026b is a larger release: it adds an entirely new guided-setup tool (Property Navigator), a major performance pass (2.2x loading), new physics in three different modules (Ti flow stress, AM evaporation, TC-PRISMA matrix switching/nucleation), and the year’s database refresh. If you’re deciding whether to skip 2026a and jump straight to 2026b, the database and Property Navigator additions alone make 2026b the more impactful upgrade of the two.

Who Should Upgrade to Thermo-Calc 2026b?

• Additive manufacturing engineers — the evaporation/composition-drift modeling is new and directly addresses a known AM qualification problem
• Superalloy developers — TCNI14’s Co-based superalloy and hydrogen coverage is a meaningful scope expansion
• Steel heat-treatment specialists — TC-PRISMA matrix-phase switching enables simulations that weren’t previously possible in one run
• Al, Mg, and Cu alloy researchers — new elastic-property data across TCAL11, TCMG9, and new elements in TCCU7
• TC-Python users — the PropertyModelSelection rewrite alone is worth the update for anyone scripting Property Model calculations
• Titanium alloy / aerospace engineers — full flow-stress prediction with martensite handling is new modeling capability, not just a refinement

Frequently Asked Questions: Thermo-Calc 2026b

When was Thermo-Calc 2026b released?

June 24, 2026.

What is the biggest new feature in Thermo-Calc 2026b?

The Property Navigator — a guided, step-by-step setup wizard for Property Model calculations that automatically picks the right model and database based on your material, process, and target property.

Is Thermo-Calc 2026b faster than previous versions?

Yes. Project and template loading is about 2.2x faster on average than 2026a/2025b, with the exact improvement depending on calculation type.

How many new databases are in Thermo-Calc 2026b?

Nine new databases (TCNI14 [renamed], MOBNI7, TCAL11, TCSALT3, TCCU7, MOBCU6, TCUHTM3, TCMG9, TCHEA9) and four updated databases (TCFE14.1, TCFE15.1, TCMG8.1, TCOX15.1).

Does TCNI14 still only cover nickel superalloys?

No — as of 2026b it’s renamed to the “TCS Nickel and Cobalt-based Superalloys Database” and now also models Co-based superalloys, plus adds hydrogen as a new element.

Will my old Thermo-Calc projects still open in 2026b?

Yes. Projects saved in 2025b, 2026a, and earlier versions open normally in 2026b, and database migration happens automatically on upgrade.

Does Thermo-Calc 2026b change anything in TC-Python?

Yes — Property Model Calculation setup now uses a new PropertyModelSelection factory class instead of raw string arguments, with full IDE-documented Arguments, ArgumentOptions, and Results for every model.

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