Nanoscale serration and creep characteristics of Al0.5CoCrCuFeNi high-entropy alloys

Abstract

Nanoindentation tests were performed to investigate the nano-scale plastic deformation in the Al0.5CoCrCuFeNi high entropy alloys at room temperature (RT) and 200 °C, respectively. Serrated plastic flow, manifested as discrete bursts of plasticity on the load-displacement curves, was observed for both temperatures during the loading period, and its behavior and dependence on the temperature was analyzed from the experimental perspective. Creep occurred during the nanoindentation holding period and exhibited very large stress exponent, implying that the dislocation glide-climb is the dominant mechanism. The creep simulations with a two-layer viscoplastic model further revealed that the deformation at a higher temperature (e.g., 200 °C) featured a greater and faster-growing plastic zone underneath the indenter, implying more pronounced dislocation activities.