Bcc Solid Solution Research Articles

Radiation-induced effects in self-passivating W-Cr-Y alloy

Irradiation of the promising self-passivating W-10wt%Cr-0.5wt%Y alloy suggested as the first wall material for demonstration power plant, DEMO, was performed with 5.9 MeV Co2+ ions at 300 °C and 5.6 MeV Fe2+ ions at 500 °C to a dose peak of 12 dpa (displacements per atom). Atom probe tomography and transmission electron microscopy were used to study the chemical compositions of this alloy at the atomic scale before and after irradiation. Before irradiation, the microstructure consists of a supersaturated bcc solid solution (αW,Cr) phase with an average grain size of about 1 µm. Cr-enriched nanoscale clusters with an average size of (2.0 ± 0.4) with a density of (6.3 ± 0.5) ×1024 m−3 and (1.8 ± 0.4) nm with a density of (5.6 ± 0.5) ×1024 m−3 were found in the damage range after irradiation at 300 and 500 °C, respectively. The Cr concentration in the Cr-enriched clusters increased from 48 at.% to 78 at.% with increasing the irradiation temperature from 300 to 500 °C, but the average size slightly decreased. This indicates that Cr clusters are embryos of a Cr-rich (αCr,W) phase. It was found that the Cr-enriched clusters play a dominant role in the radiation-induced hardening of the alloy. Beyond the damage range, no Cr clusters were observed. It was found that the formation of the Cr-enriched clusters in the W-10Cr-0.5Y alloy mitigates the formation of dislocation-type defects.A segregation of yttria particles in the form of platelets was observed at the grain boundaries under irradiation at 500 °C. Although the average yttria particle size remains unchanged after irradiation, the size distribution becomes more uniform and shifts towards smaller sizes. Therefore, the beneficial effect of nanoscale yttria particles on the oxidation resistance and alloy strengthening is expected to remain unchanged after irradiation under current experimental conditions.

Effects of Hf and C on microstructure and mechanical properties of Re0.1HfxTa1.6W0.4(TaC)y refractory medium-entropy alloy

The trade-off between high-temperature strength and room-temperature ductility represents a critical concern for practical application of refractory high-entropy alloys (RHEAs). Here, a set of five Re0.1HfxTa1.6W0.4(TaC)y refractory medium-entropy alloys (RMEAs) were fabricated using the vacuum arc melting technique, and the effect of Hf and C on the microstructures and mechanical properties of these alloys was investigated. These RMEAs exhibit excellent high-temperature strength and favorable plasticity at room-temperature. The microstructures of the Re0.1HfxTa1.6W0.4(TaC)y alloys are hypoeutectic or eutectic structures, consisting of BCC solid solution and primary and secondary carbides. The carbides can be classified into two types: M2C and MC. Hf and C have an important influence on the grain size, carbide type and spatial configuration of the alloy, and in turn, influence the mechanical properties of the alloy. For instance, the content of MC-type carbides is proportional to the addition of Hf element, whereby a higher proportion of Hf results in reduced plasticity at room-temperature and enhanced softening resistance at elevated temperatures in the alloy. The carbides and BCC matrix exhibit synergistic strengthening behavior. The ultimate compressive strength of the five Re0.1HfxTa1.6W0.4(TaC)y alloys at 1450 °C is >950 MPa, while maintaining a fracture strain exceeding 11% at room-temperature. Notably, the Re0.1Hf0.1Ta1.6W0.4(TaC)0.25 alloy demonstrates a compressive strength of 1110 MPa at 1450 °C, which is 2.3 times greater than that of the NbMoTaW alloy at 1400 °C. Additionally, the fracture strain of the Re0.1Hf0.1Ta1.6W0.4(TaC)0.25 alloy at room-temperature is 16.9%, which is 8 times higher than that of the NbMoTaW alloy. The Re0.1HfxTa1.6W0.4(TaC)y alloy exhibit excellent mechanical properties at both room and high temperatures, making it a potential candidate for applications in fields that require high strength at ultra-high temperatures.

Microstructure and high-temperature oxidation resistance of in-situ Al2O3 reinforced AlCrFeTiV high-entropy alloy with boron microalloying

In this study, the effect of boron (B) on the microstructure and high-temperature oxidation resistance of AlCrFeTiV high-entropy alloy (HEA) coatings were investigated via laser cladding on Ti-6Al-4 V. The study findings indicate that AlCrFeTiVBx (x=0, 0.5, and 1 at%) HEAs coatings mostly comprise BCC solid solution phase, TiO2 and Al2O3 ceramic particles, which formed by oxygen (O) in the air reacts with Titanium (Ti) and Aluminum (Al) of coatings. Besides, the introduction of minor B should effectively reduce the formation of TiO2. Increasing the B content, significantly promoted the high-temperature oxidation resistance of HEAs coatings at 900 °C for 50 h. When x = 1, the coating exhibits the best high-temperature oxidation resistance. Furthermore, the oxidation mechanism of the coating was studied using first-principles calculations, and further investigation was utilized on the charge transfer of oxygen adsorbed on the BCC (1 0 0) surface.

On the Microstructure and Properties of Complex Concentrated bcc Solid Solution and Tetragonal D8m M5Si3 Silicide Phases in a Refractory Complex Concentrated Alloy

In this work, the refractory complex concentrated alloy (RCCA) 3.5Al–4Cr–6Ge–1Hf–5Mo–36Nb–22Si–1.5Sn–20Ti–1W (at.%) was studied in the as cast and heat treated conditions (100 h or 200 h at 1500 °C). There was strong macrosegregation of Si in the 0.6 kg button/ingot of the cast alloy, in which A2 solid solution, D8m βNb5Si3, C14-NbCr2 Laves phase and Tiss and a ternary eutectic of the A2, D8m and C14 phases were formed. The partitioning of Ti in the as cast and heat treated microstructure and its relationships with other solutes was shown to be important for the properties of the A2 solid solution and the D8m βNb5Si3, which were the stable phases at 1500 °C. The near surface microstructure of the alloy was contaminated with oxygen after heat treatment under flowing Ar. For the aforementioned phases, it was shown, for the first time, that there are relationships between solutes, between solutes and the parameters VEC, Δχ and δ, between the said parameters, and between parameters and phase properties. For the contaminated with oxygen solid solution and silicide, trends in relationships between solutes, between solutes and oxygen content and between the aforementioned parameters and oxygen content also were shown for the first time. The nano-hardness and Young’s modulus of the A2 solid solution and the D8m βNb5Si3 of the as cast and heat-treated alloy were measured using nanoindentation. Changes of nano-hardness and Young’s modulus of the A2 solid solution and D8m βNb5Si3 per solute addition for this multiphase RCCA were discussed. The nano-hardness and Young’s modulus of the solid solution and the βNb5Si3, respectively, were 9.5 ± 0.2 GPa and 177.4 ± 5.5 GPa, and 17.55 ± 0.5 GPa and 250.27 ± 6.3 GPa after 200 h at 1500 °C. The aforementioned relationships and properties of the two phases demonstrated the importance of synergy and entanglement of solutes, parameters and phases in the microstructure and properties of the RCCA. Implications of synergy and entanglement for the design of metallic ultra-high temperature materials were emphasised.

Large-scale production of BCC solid solution hydrogen storage alloy

In this work, 52Ti–12V–36Cr + 4 wt% Zr alloy was synthesized at laboratory and large scales for comparative analysis of the hydrogen storage performance. A 5 g and 2 kg BCC solid solution alloy is synthesized by arc melting and induction melting, respectively. Crystal structure investigation revealed that both samples crystallized into a primary BCC phase and a secondary laves phase with no significant difference in the overall XRD pattern. First hydrogenation studies showed the maximum hydrogen storage capacity of arc melted alloy (AM) and induction melted alloys (IM) alloy are 3.5 wt% and 2.9 wt%, respectively, at room temperature under a hydrogen pressure of 20 bar. No visible incubation period was observed in AM alloy, whereas IM alloy showed an incubation period of 32 min with slower kinetics. The appearance of the incubation period and sluggish kinetics can be due to the formation of a passive layer during induction melting that changes the hydrogen sorption properties. The microstructural analysis confirmed the carbon contamination from the induction melting crucible and formation of the TiC phase in the matrix, which was absent in the AM alloy, significantly affecting hydrogen storage capacity. The enthalpy and entropy of 2 kg alloy are −65.84 kJ/mol and 188.92 J/mol-K.

Enhancing the microstructure and mechanical properties of CrCoFeNiAl high-entropy alloy produced by hot press sintering through laser remelting

Herein, laser remelting (LR) and hot press sintering (HPS) were combined to process high-entropy alloy (HEA) and strengthen desirable microstructure. The microstructural changes of HEA before and after LR processing were experimentally investigated. In Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) observations, it was found that the microstructure of the remelting zone was mainly composed of dendritic isometric crystals, and the laser remelting technique can refine the grain structure of HEA. The combined strengthening features of dislocations and twinning were observed by Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the phase structure of the grains was analyzed in conjunction with the X-ray diffraction(XRD) analysis, confirming the presence of B2 with BCC solid-solution and FCC phase. Finally, micron-sized scratches, tensile experiments and microhardness experiments were performed, and it was found that the Mechanical properties of the remelting zone were significantly enhanced. It was demonstrated that the strengthening of HEA, sintered by LR and HPS techniques, is due to the synergistic influence of various strengthening mechanisms, such as fine grain strengthening, dislocation strengthening, solid-solution strengthening and twinning strengthening.

Oxidation Behavior of FeNiCoCrMo0.5Al1.3 High-Entropy Alloy Powder.

One of the most promising applications of FeNiCoCrMoAl-based high-entropy alloy is the fabrication of protective coatings. In this work, gas-atomized powder of FeNiCoCrMo0.5Al1.3 composition was deposited via high-velocity oxygen fuel spraying. It was shown that in-flight oxidation of the powder influences the coating's phase composition and properties. Powder oxidation and phase transformations were studied under HVOF deposition, and during continuous heating and prolonged isothermal annealing at 800 °C. Optical and scanning electron microscopy observation, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray diffraction analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, differential thermal analysis, and microhardness tests were used for study. In a gas-atomized state, the powder consisted of BCC supersaturated solid solution. The high rate of heating and cooling and high oxygen concentration during spraying led to oxidation development prior to decomposition of the supersaturated solid solution. Depleted Al layers of BCC transferred to the FCC phase. An increase in the spraying distance resulted in an increase in α-Al2O3 content; however, higher oxide content does not result in a higher microhardness. In contrast, under annealing, the supersaturated BCC solid solution decomposition occurs earlier than pronounced oxidation, which leads to considerable strengthening to 910 HV.

The influence of SRB on corrosion behavior of Cu-based medium-entropy alloy coating sprayed by HVOF

In this study, a novel Cu-based (Cu55Al20Ni12Ti8Si5, at.%) medium-entropy alloy (MEA) coating was prepared by high-velocity oxygen-fuel (HVOF) spraying technology. Thermo-Calc was employed to simulate the phase diagram of the alloy system. Phase composition and microstructure of the as-sprayed coating were characterized by means of XRD, FESEM, TEM and STEM/EDX. The effect of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) on the corrosion behavior of the coating and the as-cast Ni-Al bronze (NAB) was investigated using electrochemical measurements and surface characterization. The Thermo-Cala simulation results showed that the alloy system presented a single BCC solid solution phase, while the detailed characterization of microstructure indicated that a few NiTi-rich B2-ordered precipitates could be also found in the as-sprayed coating other than the Cu-rich BCC matrix. Electrochemical studies illustrated that the coating exhibited superior corrosion resistance than the NAB in SRB medium, the corrosion acceleration efficiency induced by SRB of the NAB (95.3 %) was more severe than that of the coating (63.8 %). Surface analysis results demonstrated the occurrence of pitting corrosion and the formation of Cu2S on the coating surface after corroded in SRB medium. Corrosive metabolite HS- induced microbiologically influenced corrosion was considered as the main corrosion acceleration mechanism caused by SRB.

Ignition and energy release characteristics of energetic high-entropy alloy HfZrTiTa0.2Al0.8 under dynamic loading

Steel-like density HfZrTiTa0.2Al0.8 high entropy alloy (HEA) with a density of 7.78 g/cm3 is designed and fabricated as a novel energetic structural material (ESM). The microstructure, thermal analysis, compressive mechanical properties, ignition and energy release under dynamic loading are systemically investigated. The experimental results show that the HfZrTiTa0.2Al0.8 HEA has a single BCC solid solution structure, and spinodal decomposition with elements segregation in the nanoscale is observed. Thermal analysis shows the HEA keeps stable in the Ar atmosphere and the oxidizing reaction occurs in the Air atmosphere. The mechanical properties show brittle characteristics with maximum strength with 1520 MPa and fracture strain 0.07 and strain rate effect from 0.001s−1 to 3000s−1 is observed. Under high strain rate loading, the fracture-induced spark is observed, which is caused by an oxidizing reaction due to the rise. By direct ballistic test, the energy release velocity threshold is measured as 980 m/s, and the energy release intensity is more violent in higher velocity impact conditions. Moreover, the impact reaction degree is increased with increasing fragmentation degree and adiabatic temperature rise induced by impact. The designed HEA-ESM is a promising candidate that simultaneously possesses both high strength, high reactive heat and excellent energetic characteristics in the application field of high-strength ESM fragment.

Boron Enhanced Complex Concentrated Silicides – A bridge between lightweight, oxidation-resistant Refractory Metal Silicides and Refractory Complex Concentrated Alloys

This study presents the Boron Enhanced Complex Concentrated Silicides (BECCSs) as a novel category of high-temperature materials derived from the high entropy concept. Using a quaternary MoNbTaW equiatomic alloy as a starting point, four new alloy compositions were designed in a multi-step process oriented towards reducing the density of the material. By incorporating different combinations of Ti, Si, and B, the phase composition of the materials was altered from a BCC solid solution to a multi-phase structure consisting of BCC solid solution and various intermetallics (silicides, borides, and borosilicides). The suggested modification of the alloy composition led to a significant decrease in density, reaching down to 6.87 g/cm3. All four alloys were fabricated by the arc melting technique, while their microstructure and room temperature mechanical properties were evaluated by SEM/EDS/EBSD and micro-indentation methods. The results of structural characterization enabled the identification of specific phase constituents. Consequently, it was established that the transition from BCC solid solutions to silicides/borides based alloys results in a significant increase in hardness, achieving up to 1200 HV (13 GPa).

Enhanced wear resistance of AlCoCrFeMo high entropy coatings (HECs) through various thermal spray techniques

The remarkable mechanical and wear properties of high entropy alloys (HEAs) have opened up exciting possibilities for their use in aerospace applications. This study explores the potential of AlCoCrFeMo high entropy coatings (HECs) fabricated using three thermal spray techniques, namely low-pressure cold spray (LPCS), flame spray (FS), and high-velocity oxy fuel spray (HVOF) as wear resistant surfaces. The coatings were investigated in terms of their microstructures, phases, mechanical properties, and sliding wear characteristics from room temperature up to 350 °C. Ex-situ characterization was performed using XRD for phase analysis and SEM-EDS for cross-sectional microscopy and phase compositions of the coatings. All three coatings exhibited a typical lamellar structure with the formation of BCC solid solution phase and variations in porosity and oxide content. The HVOF sprayed coatings showed higher hardness values compared to the FS and LPCS coatings, which can be attributed to their fine splats microstructure, lower porosity, and oxide inclusions compared to the other two coatings. In terms of tribological performance, the LPCS coatings exhibited overall lower frictional coefficient than the FS and HVOF coatings at both tested temperatures. However, the HVOF coatings exhibited relatively lower wear rates, correlating well with observations from ex-situ analysis, highlighting lower material transfer and decreased formation of debris particles compared to LPCS and FS coatings. These findings suggest that the HEA materials have great potential as next-generation tribological interfaces under high-temperature wear conditions, emphasizing the importance of designing materials with improved microstructural features.

Elevated temperature tribological performance of non-equiatomic CoCrNiTiWx high entropy alloy coatings developed by mechanical alloying and high-velocity oxy-fuel spray

High entropy alloys (HEA) have applications in multiple fields owing to their exceptional mechanical and physical properties. In the current study, mechanical alloyed CoCrNiTiWx (x; a molar fraction, x = 0.5 and 1.5) HEA feedstock powders were deposited on maraging steel substrate using high-velocity oxy-fuel spray (HVOF). The phase evolution and the microstructure of the milled powders and as-sprayed coatings were analysed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The tribological behaviour of CoCrNiTiW0.5 and CoCrNiTiW1.5 HEA coatings at elevated temperatures was studied extensively using a Pin-on-Disc tribometer. The CoCrNiTiW0.5 and CoCrNiTiW1.5 HEA coatings retained the BCC solid solution phases formed during the milling stage. However, additional oxide and intermetallic phases were formed owing to the in-flight oxidation and high temperatures experienced during the HVOF deposition. The deposited coatings exhibited a lamellar structure and good mechanical bonding with the substrate. The porosities of CoCrNiTiW0.5 and CoCrNiTiW1.5 HEA coatings were found to be 1.69 ± 0.32 % and 1.51 ± 0.37 % respectively.Consequently, the CoCrNiTiW0.5 and CoCrNiTiW1.5 HEA coatings displayed average microhardness values of 863 ± 52 HV0.3 and 1025 ± 39 HV0.3, respectively. Further, the wear rates of coatings exhibited a significant reduction at elevated temperatures, owing to the formation of TiO2, NiCr2O4 oxide tribofilms for CoCrNiTiW0.5, and CoCr2O4, NiWO4, WO3 oxides for CoCrNiTiW1.5. The specific wear rate of CoCrNiTiW0.5 HEA coating dropped by 73.6 % from 22.7 ± 2.6 × 10−6 mm3/N-m to 5.99 ± 1.9 × 10−6 mm3/N-m, while CoCrNiTiW1.5 dropped by 78.8 % from 11.86 ± 3.5 × 10−6 mm3/N-m to 2.51 ± 1.5 × 10−6 mm3/N-m, with a rise in the temperature from RT to 600 °C. Likewise, The frictional coefficients of CoCrNiTiW0.5 HEA dropped from 0.504 ± 0.015 to 0.397 ± 0.005, while CoCrNiTiW1.5 HEA dropped from 0.578 ± 0.025 to 0.471 ± 0.004, with a rise in temperature from RT to 600 °C. At room temperature, the wear mechanisms of the as-sprayed CoCrNiTiWx coatings were dominated by adhesive wear. However, at elevated temperatures, a shift towards oxidative wear was observed.

Structural Stability of Titanium-Based High-Entropy Alloys Assessed Based on Changes in Grain Size and Hardness

The thermal stability of the grain structure and mechanical properties of the high-entropy two-phase TiCoCrFeMn alloy produced by powder metallurgy, assessed based on microhardness measurements, was analyzed in this work. For this purpose, material obtained via sintering using the U-FAST method was subjected to long-term heating at a temperature of 1000 °C for up to 1000 h in an argon atmosphere. For homogenization times of 1, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 1000 h, grain size changes in the identified phase components of the matrix were assessed, and microhardness measurements were conducted using the Vickers method. It has been shown that the changes in the analyzed parameters are closely correlated with non-monotonic modifications in the chemical composition. It was found that the tested alloy achieved structural stability after 100 h of annealing. A stable grain size was obtained in the BCC solid solution of approximately 2 µm and the two-phase BCC+C14 mixture of roughly 0.4 µm. Long-term heating for up to 1000 h caused the grain structure to grow to 2.7 µm and 0.7 µm, respectively, with a simultaneous decrease in hardness from 1065 HV to 1000 HV. The chromium and titanium diffusion coefficient values responsible for forming the BCC solid solution and the Laves C14 phase, including the material matrix, were also determined at this level to be DCr = 1.28 × 10−19 (m2·s−1) and DTi = 1.04 × 10−19 (m2·s−1), demonstrating the sluggish diffusion effect typical of high-entropy alloys.

3D finite element analysis and experimental correlations of laser synthesized AlCrNiTiNb high entropy alloy coating

A 3D Finite Element Analysis (FEA) model of laser cladding process of AlCrNiTiNb high entropy alloy (HEA) coatings on Titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) substrate has been developed taking into account heat transfer and free surface movement. The use of Ti6Al4V is highly evident in applications such as aerospace, automobile and marine environments due to their outstanding specific strength to weight ratio. Although they have high strength useful for fabrication of engineering components and movable parts in a mechanical system, Ti6Al4V are restricted to non-friction applications as a result of their low hardness. In this work, AlCrNiTiNb HEA hard-coating with equi-atomic ratio was synthesized on Ti6Al4V alloy substrate by laser cladding technique to mitigate the limitations. Prior to experimental method, a 3D computational model was developed to simulate the physical phenomena based on heat transfers involved during laser surface cladding (LSC) of HEA coating on Ti‐6Al‐4V alloy by a laser-assisted direct energy deposition technique. COMSOL Multiphysics 5.3a was used to create a model using heat transfer in solids module incorporating temperature distribution during the layer-wise build-up of 3 layers. The experimental validation showed that the microstructural analysis by scanning electron microscope (SEM) resulted in coating having dendritic and interdendritic structure which resulted in good metallurgical bonding. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis displayed that AlCrNiTiNb alloy coating is composed of ordered and disordered solid solution phases (BCC and FCC) with no intermetallic compounds formed. Energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) confirmed the presence of elements used. The microhardness of AlCrNiTiNb HEA coating reached maximum value around 892 HV which is more than of the substrate. The microhardness increased significantly due to the combination of BCC and FCC solid solution phases.

Boron Enhanced Complex Concentrated Silicides – New pathway for designing and optimizing ultra-high temperature intermetallic composite materials

Refractory Metal Intermetallic Composites and Refractory Complex Concentrated Alloys have been identified as promising candidates for ultra-high-temperature applications that exceed the limits of superalloys. However, designing and developing new materials with the proper density for aerospace applications is a significant challenge. For this reason, new refractory metal-based materials are in continuous development. This study introduces a new class of materials known as Boron-Enhanced Complex Concentrated Silicides (BECCSs). By providing a balance between density and high-temperature performance, these materials with their density-optimized refractory metal silicide-borides have the potential to revolutionize high-temperature applications. Utilizing a quaternary MoNbTaW equiatomic alloy (ρ = 13.73 gcm−3) as a starting point and a computer-aided alloy modeling tool, seven alloy compositions were designed in a multi-step process aimed at lowering the material density. Through the introduction of Ti, Si, and/or B, the microstructure was transformed from a BCC solid solution to a multiphase structure comprised of silicides and borides. The proposed redesign of the alloy led to a significant reduction in density, even to 5.44 gcm−3. All seven alloys were produced by using a laboratory arc melter, and their microstructure and room-temperature mechanical properties were analyzed using SEM, EDS, EBSD, and micro-indentation. The results of structural characterization allowed us to identify specific phase constituents, and it was established that a transition from BCC solid solutions to silicides/borides-based alloys results in a substantial increase in hardness, even above 1600 H V (17 GPa).

Compositionally complex doping for low-V Ti-Cr-V hydrogen storage alloys

Ti-V-based BCC solid solution alloys, represented by Ti-Cr-V alloys, are considered as promising hydrogen storage materials due to their high hydrogen storage capacity (over 4 wt%) at room temperature. However, the difficult activation, low effective hydrogen desorption capacities, poor P-C-T plateau characteristics, and high cost remain significant problems for their practical applications. Herein, we present a new compositionally complex (high-entropy) doping strategy which was used to successfully fabricate a low-cost “Laves phase related BCC solid solution”, TiCrV0.7(Nb0.2Fe0.2Co0.2Ni0.2Mn0.2)0.2, that exhibits excellent activation performance and high effective hydrogen desorption capacity (Ce1atm: 2.21 wt%). The main BCC phase ensures high hydrogen storage capacity, while the minor secondary C14 phase plays a catalytic role and thus improves the hydrogen absorption kinetics. Furthermore, we confirmed that there is a synergistic effect of Nb, Fe, Co, Ni, and Mn elements in improving hydrogen storage performance. The dehydrogenation enthalpy ΔH of the heat-treated TiCrV0.7(Nb0.2Fe0.2Co0.2Ni0.2Mn0.2)0.2 is 37.5 kJ mol−1, which is significantly lower than previously reported Ti-Cr-V based systems, revealing a significant tendency towards easier dehydrogenation with high-entropy doping. This work offers a new alloying method for improving the hydrogen storage performance of hydrogen storage alloys.

Hydrogen storage properties of MgTiVZrNb high-entropy alloy and its catalytic effect upon hydrogen storage in Mg

Herein, a new approach relying on six parameters has been proposed to design the high-entropy alloy (HEA) with a single-phase BCC solid solution based on the Mg–Ti–V–Zr–Nb system. The Mg10Ti30V25Zr10Nb25 alloy was selected among 5152 calculated compositions. Subsequently, the HEA is prepared by mechanical alloying and introduced into the Mg to study the effect of HEA on the hydrogen storage performance of Mg/MgH2 system. Results show that the HEA exhibits excellent hydrogen absorption kinetics at room temperature, while the hydrogen absorption capacity is about 1.196 wt%. Moreover, the addition of HEA can significantly improve the hydrogen absorption and desorption kinetics of Mg at low temperatures. The dehydrogenation activation energy of the composites reduces from 121.94 ± 4.08 to 91.66 ± 1.31 kJ mol−1, and HEA exhibits good catalytic activity. The initial hydrogenation and dehydrogenation temperatures of Mg‒15 wt% HEA composite are about 418 K and 526 K, which are 78 K and 47 K lower than pure Mg, respectively. The Mg‒15 wt% HEA composite has good cycling stability.

Microstructures and mechanical properties of novel MoTaVW refractory high-entropy alloys

Refractory high-entropy alloys (RHEAs) containing multiple principal alloying elements have created a growing interest in exploring superalloys applications due to their high melting points and excellent softening resistance. The room-temperature brittleness and oxygen sensitivity greatly restrict their further processing and application. Here, utilizing the unique high strength of Vanadium (V) among alloy elements and cocktail effect of HEAs, we designed a MoTaVW RHEAs with equal atomic ratio, that exhibit multiphase phases (Ta-rich, Mo-rich and V-rich phase) with different composition at different sintering temperatures and the alloy elements in BCC solid solution tend to be uniformly distributed as the increased sintering temperature. Exploring the room-temperature compressive properties and underlying deformation mechanisms, the MoTaVW RHEAs exhibit the yield strength (σy) of 1420 MPa and the plastic strain (εp) of 18 %, that achieved good combination of strength and plasticity compared with other most known BCC RHEAs, which are attributed to high solid solution strengthening caused by lattice distortion and the cross slip of screw dislocations on the close-packed plane that can enhance the synergistic effect of strength and plasticity. These results reveal the MoTaVW RHEAs is a very promising materials for compositional space in RHEAs.

Microstructure and properties of W0.5Ta0.3MoNbVAlTi1-xZrx high entropy alloy coatings by laser cladding on the surface of 45# steel

W0.5Ta0.3MoNbVAlTi1-xZrx (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0) high entropy alloy coatings were prepared on the surface of 45# steel in this study using a laser cladding method. The resulting data demonstrate that increasing x changed the proportion of the phases but not the type of phases. Additionally, for all HEA coatings consisting of the BCC solid solution phase, Laves phase, MC phase, and unmelted W, the content of Laves phase was gradually decreased, and the HEA coatings microstructure was gradually transitioned from equiaxed to dendritic crystals. Solid solution strengthening, precipitation strengthening, and diffusion strengthening significantly increased the microhardness of the HEA coatings. The microhardness of the coating was the highest when x = 0.25, approximately 1.1–1.4 times that of other coatings. The wear mechanism of the HEA coatings was abrasive wear, and the wear rate first decreased and then increased with increaseing x. The combined resistance of the coating to micro-cutting and brittle debonding was the strongest when x = 0.5 with maximal wear resistance. The wear rate was only 43.8–82.9% that of other coatings. The increase in Zr content and decreasing Laves phase content reduced the number of defects and the formation of unstable oxides at the phase boundaries. The stability of the oxide layer was enhanced, and the coating exhibited the best high-temperature oxidation resistance when x = 0.75, approximately 1.4–6.3 times that of the other coatings.

Investigation of the applicability of Cu–Fe–Mn–Ni based high entropy and compositionally complex alloys as metal matrix composites for cobalt free hot-pressed diamond tools

Due to the rising demand and carcinogenic effect of cobalt, alternative metal matrixes need to be developed for hot-pressed diamond tools. Due to this reason High-Entropy alloys without cobalt were calculated via phase fraction diagrams. Three alloys of the Al–Cu–Fe–Mn–Ni system Al30Cu30Fe5Mn25Ni10, Al11.25Cu35Fe5Mn20Ni28.75 and Al5Cu20Fe25Mn25Ni25 were chosen due to their different crystal structures ranging from pure bcc, eutectic fcc-bcc to pure fcc crystal structure. Cr5Cu20Fe25Mn25Ni25 was chosen to verify the change of one element on the consolidation properties. The alloys were mechanically alloyed and hot-pressed at 800 °C for 3 min without and at 900 °C for 3 min with diamonds. Porosity increased with the fraction of bcc solid solution in the investigated alloys of the Al–Cu–Fe–Mn–Ni system. Samples consisting of Cr5Cu20Fe25Mn25Ni25 showed the lowest porosity, which was attributed to precipitation of a second copper-rich fcc solid solution around the remaining pores. At a process temperature of 800 °C and 3 min isothermal hold the samples featured a porosity of only 2.72%. Within the XRD patterns and SEM images of the hot-pressed samples with diamonds no graphitization or formation of carbides could be observed. Therefore, Cr5Cu20Fe25Mn25Ni25 was identified as a promising cobalt free metal-matrix candidate for diamond tools.