Abstract
CoCrFeCuNi high-entropy alloys (HEAs) prepared by arc melting were irradiated with a 100 keV He+ ion beam. Volume swelling and hardening induced by irradiation were evaluated. When the dose reached 5.0 × 1017 ions/cm2, the Cu-rich phases exhibited more severe volume swelling compared with the matrix phases. This result indicated that the Cu-rich phases were favorable sites for the nucleation and gathering of He bubbles. X-ray diffraction indicated that all diffraction peak intensities decreased regularly. This reduction suggested loosening of the irradiated layer, thereby reducing crystallinity, under He+ ion irradiation. The Nix-Gao model was used to fit the measured hardness in order to obtain a hardness value H0 that excludes the indentation size effect. At ion doses of 2.5 × 1017 ions/cm2 and 5.0 × 1017 ions/cm2, the HEAs showed obvious hardening, which could be attributed to the formation of large amounts of irradiation defects. At the ion dose of 1.0 × 1018 ions/cm2, hardening was reduced, owing to the exfoliation of the original irradiation layer, combined with recovery induced by long-term thermal spike. This study is important to explore the potential uses of HEAs under extreme irradiation conditions.
Highlights
High-entropy alloys (HEAs) have recently drawn increased interest because of their distinct compositions, microstructures, and flexible properties
Zhang et al [12] evaluated the effects of irradiation on Alx CoCrFeNi (x = 0.1, 0.75, and 1.5) HEAs under 3 MeV Au+ ion irradiation at room temperature
The present study provides an initial examination of the fundamental irradiation behavior of an HEA material, offering an insight into the potential of this family of materials for application under extreme environments
Summary
High-entropy alloys (HEAs) have recently drawn increased interest because of their distinct compositions, microstructures, and flexible properties. HEAs exerts four primary effects: (1) high-entropy effect; (2) sluggish diffusion effect; (3) severe lattice distortion effect; and (4) cocktail effect [1,2,3,4]. These effects render HEAs more likely to form a simple solid-solution structure rather than an intermetallic compound, which confers distinct properties on HEAs, including high fatigue strength [5], high hardness [6], good abrasion resistance and corrosion resistance, high breaking strength at low temperatures [7,8,9,10], and good softening resistance at elevated temperatures [11].
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