Phase equilibria, mechanical properties and design of quaternary refractory high entropy alloys

Abstract

Refractory high entropy alloys (RHEAs) are candidates for replacing conventional refractory alloys. In this work, twelve new RHEAs were selected and produced. The phases present in the as-cast and heat-treated conditions were characterized and compared with CALPHAD simulations and empirical parameters. Here we propose a new interpretation for the two widely used δ and Ω empirical parameters. In this work, they are shown to be inaccurate when applied to a large group of RHEAs, but can be a powerful alloy design tool if applied on specific subsystems of alloys. Experimentally, chromium-containing alloys are shown to form Laves phases, especially when the lattice distortion (δ) is high, while aluminum-containing alloys are shown to form the A15 phase upon heat-treatment, due to their highly negative enthalpy of mixing (ΔHmix). In addition to microstructural characterization, mechanical properties of these alloys via hardness testing were assessed. A poor correlation was observed between the hardness and the atomic size and elastic modulus mismatch in these single-phase BCC RHEAs, suggesting that core structure of the screw dislocations is a crucial parameter in understanding the strength of these alloys.