Phase evolution and stability of nanocrystalline CoCrFeNi and CoCrFeMnNi high entropy alloys

Abstract

High entropy alloys (HEAs) have emerged as promising class of materials having equiatomic or near equiatomic multicomponent configurations. Nanostructured HEAs have added a new facet to the development of these alloys, showing remarkable strength and functional properties. The present work examined the phase evolution and thermal stability of nanocrystalline CoCrFeNi and CoCrFeMnNi HEAs prepared through mechanical alloying (MA) followed by spark plasma sintering (SPS). After MA, both the alloys showed single phase FCC structure with minor fractions of tungsten carbide arising due to contamination from milling media. After SPS, the major phase remained as FCC in both the alloys along with Cr7C3 evolution. Phase stability of CoCrFeNi and CoCrFeMnNi HEAs, (MA powders and SPS pellets) were investigated in the temperature range 1073–1373 K up to 96 h. Formation of Cr7C3, concomitant with Cr-depletion in FCC matrix, was observed on heat treatment of MA powders. SPS alloys retained their mixture of FCC + Cr7C3 on thermal exposure with minimal change in the fraction of carbides. The presence of single phase field in their respective phase diagrams, similar atomic sizes of constituents and non-equilibrium nature of MA combined to lend a highly stable FCC phase in the nanocrystalline HEAs studied.