Fcc Matrix Research Articles

Coupling CALPHAD Method and Entropy-Driven Design for the Development of an Advanced Lightweight High-Temperature Al-Ti-Ta Alloy.

In this study, a new lightweight Al-Ti-Ta alloy was developed through a synergistic approach, combining CALPHAD methodology and entropy-driven design. Following compositional optimization, the Al87.5Ti6.25Ta6.25 (at.%) alloy was fabricated and isothermally heat-treated at 475 °C for 24 h to attain equilibrium. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses revealed a dual-phase microstructure comprising a 50 vol.% FCC matrix enriched in Al and 50 vol.% Al3(Ti,Ta)-type intermetallic phase (IP). Notably, the FCC phase exhibited a high-melting transition temperature of 660 °C, surpassing conventional Al-Si cast alloys. Phase-specific nanomechanical properties were evaluated using Nanoindentation. Microindentation tests demonstrated exceptional microhardness of approximately 3300 MPa. These results indicate the alloy's superior hardness compared to conventional alloys such as Al-Si (A390), 7075 Al alloy, and CP-Ti, even exceeding Ti-64 alloy at a 15% lower density. The alloy's stability under prolonged heat treatment at 475 °C, reflected by stable phases, microstructure, and mechanical properties, highlights its enhanced thermal stability, which can be attributed to entropy-driven phase stabilization. This study underscores the effectiveness of integrating entropy-driven design strategy with CALPHAD predictions for the accelerated development of advanced Al-based alloys.

Investigation on effect of L12 and B2 phases on tensile properties and mechanisms of Al0.3CoCrFeNi high entropy alloy through aging treatment

Al0.3CoCrFeNi high entropy alloys (HEAs) have excellent mechanical properties due to the large tunability of microstructures, which makes them one of the most promising candidates for engineering application. In the aspect of enhancing tensile properties, precipitation strengthening was verified effective in this HEA and more studies are needed to deepen relative understanding. In this work, Al0.3CoCrFeNi HEAs with coarse-grained single FCC (A) and fine-grained triplex FCC + B2 + σ (B) structures were aged at different temperatures and times to precipitate second phases, and the tensile properties and mechanisms of aged specimens were studied. The results showed that aging of A resulted in the main precipitation of L12 phases throughout FCC matrix and increasing aging temperature obviously increased L12 size, whereas increasing annealing time had minor effect on phase coarsening. At small L12 size of ~2.0nm, stacking fault shearing mechanism was activated during tension and planar dislocation configurations were formed, leading to simultaneous increase of strength and ductility. With increasing L12 size to ~10.0nm, the deformation mechanism was transformed into anti-phase boundary shearing and Orowan bypassing and wavy dislocation configurations predominated, which resulted in the significant increase of yield strength from ~263MPa to ~433MPa without sacrificing notable ductility. On the other hand, aging of B induced the formation of fine B2 phases at residual dislocations and enhancement of tensile yield strength from ~705MPa to ~759MPa. The ductility decreased slightly from ~32% to ~28%, which was related to the plastic deformation of B2 phases. However, it was found that the tensile strengths could not be continuously increased by further increasing aging temperature or time. These findings provide insights into the development of precipitation strengthened HEAs with good mechanical properties.

Enhancing mechanical properties in Ti-Containing FeMn40Co10Cr10C0.5 High-Entropy alloy through Chi (χ) phase dissolution and precipitation hardening

This research investigates the effects of adding 2 at.% Ti on the microstructure, phase transformation, and mechanical properties of FeMn40Co10Cr10C0.5 high-entropy alloy (HEA) in both as-cast and homogenized conditions. The incorporation of Ti increased the lattice parameter of the FCC matrix and caused greater lattice distortion (∼5.9 %) due to the larger atomic radius of Ti. The negative mixing enthalpy of Ti resulted in segregation at interdendritic regions, forming a Ti-rich Chi (χ) phase during solidification. The as-cast structure displayed a dendritic microstructure consisting of 77.9 % FCC, 20.6 % χ, and 1.5 % TiC phases. After homogenization at 1200 °C for 2 h, the χ phase was dissolved, increasing the volume fraction of TiC to 24 %. The homogenized sample exhibited a substantial improvement in tensile properties, i.e., with the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) rising from 631 MPa in the as-cast condition to 689 MPa, and yield strength (YS) increasing from 346 MPa to 419 MPa, while maintaining an elongation of ∼ 54 %. These enhancements are attributed to solid solution strengthening, increased carbide precipitation, and the dissolution of the χ phase into the FCC matrix.

Evolution of microstructure and tensile behavior in an interstitial strengthened high entropy alloy

The microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of Fe61.5Cr17.5Ni11.5Al8C1.5 high-entropy alloys (HEAs) were investigated to establish an optimal set of annealing conditions that would result in reasonable recrystallized fractions across the different temperatures and durations. The evolution of the microstructure was analyzed, tracking the transformation from the rolling texture to the recrystallization texture, as well as any phase transformations that occurred. The grain size distribution, overall microstructural features, and the effects of annealing temperature and time on the tensile properties of the HEAs were examined and discussed. The alloy was subjected to cold rolling and subsequent annealing treatments, revealing a single FCC phase after homogenization at 1260 °C. The cold-rolled samples retained the FCC structure at lower annealing temperatures (400 °C and 500 °C) but underwent a phase transformation to BCC at higher temperatures (600 °C to 900 °C). Microstructural characterization demonstrated that cold rolling introduced a high density of dislocations, while annealing facilitated recrystallization and grain growth. The tensile tests indicated that HEA samples exhibited a yield strength of 570 MPa and ductility of ∼36 % with large grain size after a long annealing at elevated temperature. In contrast, after being heat-treated at 1200 °C for 2 min, HEAs restrict FCC-to-BCC phase transformation and exhibit small grain size (3.2 µm) with M23C6-like carbide precipitation in the FCC matrix. Smaller grains provide additional boundaries, which restrict dislocations to bypass these boundaries. While carbide precipitates at grain boundaries and inside grains, it strengthens the material by pinning grain boundaries and restricting dislocation movement, resulting in a yield strength of 610 MPa and ductility of ∼41 %.

Enhancing mechanical and anti-corrosion properties in a L12 nanoprecipitates reinforced Fe35.4Ni24Cr21Co9Mo2Cu1.6Al3Ti4 multi-principal element alloy via tailoring grain size

A Fe35.4Ni24Cr21Co9Mo2Cu1.6Al3Ti4 multi-principal element alloy (MPEA) reinforced by L12 nanoprecipitates was fabricated with four different grain sizes (~19, ~50, ~127 and ~361 μm) to optimize mechanical and corrosion properties. All samples exhibit a similar microstructure, showing spherical L12 nanoprecipitates embedded in the FCC matrix at grain interiors, accompanied by a small fraction of plate-like L12 and B2-ordered phases at grain boundaries. As grain size decreases, both yield strength and ultimate tensile strength progressively increase, while ductility decreases. The sample with a grain size of ~50 μm demonstrates the most excellent combination of strength and ductility, displaying a yield strength of ~700MPa, an ultimate tensile strength of ~1130MPa, and a total elongation of ~29.4%. Concurrently, corrosion resistance in 3.5wt.% NaCl improves as grain size decreases from ~361 μm to ~50 μm, but notably deteriorates at ~19 μm. These results suggest that the L12 nanoprecipitates reinforced Fe35.4Ni24Cr21Co9Mo2Cu1.6Al3Ti4 MPEA with grain size of ~50 μm has achieved outstanding combination of mechanical and anti-corrosion properties. Precipitation strengthening and grain boundary strengthening are responsible for the enhanced mechanical properties in the studied samples. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed that the passive film on the ~50 μm grain size sample is the thickest (3.09nm), composed primarily of Cr2O3 and Fe2O3, which acts as an effective barrier against Cl- penetration. In a word, tailoring grain size proves to be an effective means to achieve enhanced mechanical and anti-corrosion properties.

Tune Al/Ti to adjust FCC+L21 hetero-structured Ni-based high-entropy alloys for improved mechanical properties and wear resistance

Outstanding mechanical properties of Ni-based superalloy benefit from its coherent γ/γ’ structure via precipitation strengthening of γ matrix (FCC structure) by L12 Ni3Al-type γ’ phase. Back-stress strengthening is another effective strategy to further enhance the FCC+L12 structured Ni-based superalloy. In this work, we extend such approaches to high-entropy alloys (HEAs) by introducing different Al and Ti contents (5 at.% ∼18 at.%) into a Ni-based CrFe2Ni4 alloy to form FCC+L21 heterostructured AlxCrFe2Ni4Tiy HEAs. Detailed microstructural analysis indicates that L12 Ni3(Al,Ti)-type nanoparticles form in a (Ni,Fe,Cr)-rich FCC matrix. The volume fraction of L21 AlNi2Ti-type phase can be varied by adjusting the Al/Ti ratio and concentrations of Al and Ti. Higher Al and Ti contents promote L21 phase formation and higher Al/Ti ratio (>1) prohibits the high Ti-containing compounds such as D024η-Ni3Ti and C14 Laves Fe2Ti phases, which are hard but brittle. Corresponding Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, hardness, and the bulk to shear modulus ratio (B/G) can be readily modified. Compressive tests demonstrate that Al1.5CrFe2Ni4Ti1.0 alloy with half FCC and half L21 phases possesses the optimal strength-ductility combination (with compressive yield strength of ∼1564 MPa and fracture strain of ∼28 %). DFT calculations were performed to elucidate relevant mechanisms. Sliding wear tests were also performed, which demonstrate superior wear resistance of the HEAs at both room and elevated temperatures, compared with a commercial Ni-based superalloy, UHT-Nickel.

Microstructure and tensile properties of Y2O3-dispersion strengthened CoCrFeNi high entropy alloys prepared via mechanical alloying using pre-alloyed powder

Nano-Y2O3-dispersion strengthened CoCrFeNi high entropy alloys are fabricated via mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering using high purity elemental powders or pre-alloyed CoCrFeNi powder. All the alloys show an FCC matrix incorporated by small amount of BCC Cr-rich segregations, whose brittle nature is detrimental to the mechanical properties of the alloys. It has been found that using pre-alloyed powder significantly suppresses the formation of the Cr-rich phase, and its size and volume fraction can be further reduced by increasing the rotation speed of ball-milling during mechanical alloying. Besides, the grain refinement is also achieved under a higher rotation speed. Y2O3 nanoparticles with a number density of 1.8 × 1022 m−3 and an average diameter of 11.0 ± 7.3 nm are uniformly distributed in the alloy that produced from pre-alloyed powder under the rotation speed of 350 rpm during ball-milling. These Y2O3 nanoparticles share coherent interface with the FCC matrix, indicating the in-situ precipitation mechanism. Due to a good combination of grain boundary strengthening, dislocation strengthening and precipitation strengthening, this ODS high entropy alloy possesses a yield strength of 1281 MPa at room temperature.

Effect of hot rolling and annealing on microstructure, crystallographic texture, and mechanical properties of Fe11.5 Co20.6 Ni40.7 Cr12.2 Al7.8 Ti7.2 high entropy alloy

The evolution of microstructure and texture during the thermomechanical processing of a Fe-Co-Ni-Cr-Al-Ti dual phase high entropy alloy consists of L12 (γ′) ordered precipitates in the disordered FCC (γ) matrix and its effect on the mechanical properties was investigated. The as-cast alloy was annealed at 1100 °C after 25 % and 50 % hot rolling reduction. The grain size becomes finer, and a considerable amount of annealing twin boundaries (Ʃ3 boundaries) developed in the hot rolling and annealed (HRA) samples. The α-fiber (ND||<110>) texture and twin-related texture components increase after HRA treatment. The mechanical response at room temperature is evaluated employing hardness and uniaxial tensile tests. A significant reduction in hardness, from 448 ± 6 HV to 381 ± 12 HV, is observed in the 50 % hot rolled annealed sample compared to the as-cast sample. Additionally, the yield strength reduced from 779 to 595 MPa with an increment in the ductility from 12.5 to 17.2 % in the as-cast and HR50A samples, respectively. Finally, it has been demonstrated that the increase in coherent twin boundaries and grain size excluding twin boundaries, led to the observed mechanical behavior.

Improved microstructure and wear resistance of (CoCrNi)82Al9Ti9 cladding layers via extreme high-speed laser cladding

Compared with conventional laser cladding (CLC), extreme high-speed laser cladding (EHLA) offers substantially enhanced cladding efficiency and improved coating properties. In this study, (CoCrNi)82Al9Ti9 high-entropy alloy (HEA) coatings were prepared via CLC and EHLA. The coatings were also characterized and tested. Results indicated that the thickness of the EHLA coating was 261.9 μm, the microstructure of the cladding layer consisted of alternating lamellar FCC matrix and strengthening phases (B2 and L21), and the average grain size was 5.3 μm. The EHLA coating has approximately three times more strengthening phases than the CLC coating. Thus, the microhardness of the EHLA coating in the range of 25–650 °C is approximately twice that of the CLC coating, and the wear rate of the former at 650 °C is 61 % lower than that of the latter. EHLA markedly improves the wear resistance of HEA coating at room temperature and 650 °C.

Dependence of molybdenum content on the cavitation corrosion synergy and wear failure of laser cladded CoCrFeNiMnMo high entropy alloy coatings

The CoCrFeNiMnMo high entropy alloy (HEA) coatings with various Mo contents (0.1, 0.5, 0.8, 1.0 in atomic ratio) were prepared by laser cladding, aiming at determining the optimum Mo content and the effect of Mo on the microstructure and properties of CoCrFeNiMnMox HEA. The synergistic cavitation failure-corrosion impact of the coatings was also studied in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. Experimental results showed that HEA coatings were only composed of FCC matrix and the grains were refined gradually with the increase of Mo contents. Meanwhile, the corrosion resistance of the coatings increased first and then decreased. The CoCrFeNiMnMo05 possessed the highest corrosion resistance as indicated by the highest polarization resistance, strongest passivation tendency and lowest carrier concentration. The wear resistance of the coatings was significantly higher than that of the substract. The enhanced wear resistance was contributed to the grain refinement and solid solution strengthening. After 8h cavitation failure, the CoCrFeNiMnMo05 showed the lowest mean depth failure of 0.05 μm as it maintains the highest self-healing ability and integrity of passive film during the synergistic effect of cavitation failure and corrosion. In this study, the optimum Mo content was determined and the effect of Mo on the microstructure and properties of CoCrFeNiMnMox HEA was described.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of a severely cold-rolled and annealed dual-phase compositionally complex alloy (CCA) with an exceptionally deformable Laves phase

A novel CCA was designed by substituting Nb in (FCC + C14 Laves) CoCrFeNi2.1(Nb)0.2 CCA by (Hf + Nb + Ta). The (HfNbTa)0.2 CCA was homogenized, heavily cold-rolled, and isothermally annealed at 800 °C and 1000 °C for different time intervals. The (HfNbTa)0.2 alloy revealed the presence of a Hf and Ni enriched cubic C15 Laves phase. The considerations of site occupancy behavior, formation energy, and highly off-stoichiometric composition stabilized the (Hf, Ni) rich cubic C15 Laves phase. In contrast to the brittle hexagonal C14 Laves phase in (Nb)0.2 CCA, the C15 Laves phase in (HfNbTa)0.2 CCA showed exceptional deformability owing to the high propensity for nano-twin formation. Meanwhile, the FCC matrix developed a deformation-induced nano-lamellar structure with a spacing of ∼45 nm. Annealing resulted in ultrafine recrystallized FCC matrix and precipitation of DO19 structured ε nano-precipitates. The isothermal grain growth kinetics revealed a high grain growth exponent (n) ∼7, which confirmed a Zener-drag mediated process due to the ε nano-precipitates. The Hall-Petch analysis of the hardness data showed relatively high friction stress originating from the dissolution of Hf, Nb, and Ta in the FCC matrix. A high Hall-Petch coefficient indicated increased shear stress for plastic flow across the boundaries, resulting from the elongated Laves phase at the boundaries. The highly deformable Laves phase, ultrafine grain size, and ε nano-precipitates resulted in high yield strength (∼975 MPa) and superior ductility (∼16 %) in the (HfNbTa)0.2 CCA, even surpassing the (Nb)0.2 CCA. It was envisaged that strong yet deformable Laves phases could pave the pathway for developing Laves phase-based CCAs for advanced structural applications.

FCC twins and martensites responses of metastable dual-phase high entropy alloy to friction stir processing

Fe50Mn30Co10Cr10 dual-phase high entropy alloy (DP-HEA) has good application prospects in the nuclear and automotive industries due to its strength-ductility synergistic effect. The initial volume fractions of FCC twins and HCP martensites in Fe50Mn30Co10Cr10 HEA affect the relative contribution of transformation-induced plasticity and twinning-induced plasticity to the alloy's strength and ductility under loading conditions. Understanding the relationship between FCC twins and martensites is crucial during the friction stir process (FSP). In this study, the microstructure of Fe50Mn30Co10Cr10 HEA as FSP condition was studied. The HCP phase in the base metal almost completely transformed into the FCC phase during FSP. Both FCC twin and HCP martensite transformations serve to alleviate strain in the FCC matrix. The initiation of FCC twin and martensite formation depends on critical stress levels at different temperatures. Higher strain and coarser grains promote more martensite formation, while finer grains and lower strain impede it, causing FCC twins to occur before HCP martensites during the cooling process of materials in the processed zone. These findings offer insights into controlling the volume fractions of twins and martensites in FSPed DP-HEA, thereby potentially enhancing the mechanical properties of DP-HEA.

EFFECT OF TiC ADDITION ON MICROSTRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF LASER CLADDING AlCoCrFeNi2.1 COATINGS ON H13 STEEL

[Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]xwt.%TiC ([Formula: see text], 6, 9) coatings were prepared on H13 steel by laser cladding (LC) technology. It was characterized by a friction and wear test machine, optical microscope (OM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), hardness tester, etc. The effects of different TiC contents on the microstructure and properties of [Formula: see text] coatings were analyzed. The results show that the coating microstructure without TiC addition is dominated by coarse columnar crystals and dendrites. After the addition of TiC, the coated massive crystals and equiaxed crystals become finer. XRD analysis reveals that the phase structure of the coating has FCC, B2 solid solution phase and TiC-reinforced phase. TiC phase can significantly improve the hardness of the coating. The microstructure reveals that fine TiC particles are widely distributed among the dendrites of the FCC matrix. The hardness and friction wear experiments revealed that the average hardness of the coatings with TiC has increased significantly compared to that of the substrate. The hardness of the [Formula: see text] with 9%TiC coating increased by 184.6% compared to that of the substrate. The friction coefficient was the smallest at 0.748. The lowest self-corrosion current was [Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]. The [Formula: see text] with 9%TiC coating had the best corrosion resistance.

Achieving excellent mechanical and robust lubrication behavior in the CoCrNi medium-entropy alloy via in-situ graphite

The unsatisfactory wear resistance and lubrication performance of CoCrNi multi-principal elements alloys (MPEAs) have emerged as critical challenges, impeding their extensive utilization as advanced engineering materials, despite their desirable mechanical and physical properties. Incorporating graphite to obtain MPEAs-based self-lubricating composites is believed to improve the wear resistance. However, it is challenging to prepare composites with high strength, large plasticity, and excellent anti-friction performance simultaneously. The present study reports the fabrication of novel CoCrNi MPEA-based self-lubricating composites, consisting of in-situ graphite and high-hardness silicides/carbides as reinforcement, prepared by powder metallurgy and reactive sintering. The 20.6 vol% Gr@CoCrNi–SiC composite exhibits an optimal trade-off between strength and ductility, along with anti-friction and wear resistance which is superior to the reported composites with different solid lubricants. The wear mechanism is attributed to the coordinated deformation mechanism between the CoCrNi FCC matrix and silicides/carbides, and the stabile lubrication effect supported by the structural transformation from the original polycrystalline lattice structure to core-shell nanocomposite structure (similar to diamond-like carbon) of the in-situ graphite. This simple, economical and practical strategy contributes to the development of MPEA self-lubricating composites with excellent comprehensive properties.

INFLUENCE OF SUBSTRATE TEMPERATURE ON THE MICROSTRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF CoCrFeNiNbx HIGH ENTROPY ALLOY COATINGS

This work studies the effect of the substrate temperature on the microstructure and properties of CoCrFeNiNbx high entropy alloy (HEA) coatings fabricated by magnetron sputtering. The results indicate that all three CoCrFeNiNbx HEA coatings were composed of a simple FCC solid solution with a columnar structure. As the substrate temperature increased, Nb content in the FCC matrix increased while the grain size first decreased and then increased. Accordingly, CoCrFeNiNbx HEA coatings exhibited an increasing micro-hardness and a decreasing fracture toughness with the increasing substrate temperature. Moreover, CoCrFeNiNbx HEA coating deposited at 200∘ had better corrosion performance, which was due to its better surface quality and denser columnar structure compared to the other two coatings.

High-throughput strategy to design high entropy alloys with an FCC matrix, L12 precipitates, and optimized yield stress

This work proposes a methodology for designing high-strength precipitation-hardened high entropy alloys (HEAs) with an FCC matrix and L12 precipitates. High-throughput solidification calculations were conducted using the CALPHAD method, evaluating 11,235 alloys in the Cr-Co-Ni-Al-Ti system under specific boundary conditions. The acquired information was used to filter the alloys, focusing on alloys exhibiting an FCC+L12 phase field at 750 °C, a solidification interval narrower than 100 °C, and a solvus temperature under 1100 °C. The filtered alloys were analyzed to estimate their solid solution and precipitation hardening contributions to yield strength, with antiphase boundary energy (APB) assessed using two models. Three alloys were selected for testing the proposed strategy, including one with the highest yield stress and others for comparison. These alloys were produced, processed, and characterized using DSC, synchrotron XRD, SEM, and TEM. The results showed that the desired microstructure was achieved, with the alloys consisting of an FCC matrix and a high-volume fraction of L12 precipitates. Tensile tests at room temperature, 650 °C, 750 °C, and 850 °C demonstrated that the proposed model predicts well the yield strength trends, demonstrating the potential of the proposed approach for accelerating the discovery and development of novel HEAs with tailored properties.

A dual-phase Fe-Co-Ni-Cr-Mn high entropy alloy thin film with superior strength and corrosion-resistance

Improving the mechanical properties of high-entropy alloys (HEAs) with a face-centered cubic (fcc) structure is critical for their potential applications. In this work, a Fe-Co-Ni-Cr-Mn thin film was prepared and deposited with a power of 360 W. This alloy thin film exhibits a dual-phase microstructure consisting of a fcc matrix and sigma phase (σ phase) precipitates. The 360 W-film shows ultra-high strength-ductility synergy, with a hardness of 10.4 GPa, yield strength of 6.2 GPa, and a fracture strain of ∼25 % (micro-pillar compression tests). The excellent mechanical properties can be mainly attributed to the grain size effect, the hardening effect of the σ precipitates, and deformation twinning. Moreover, this alloy thin film exhibits excellent tribological performances and corrosion resistance. Our results demonstrate high potential of the dual-phase HEA thin film for industrial applications as high-performance protective coating materials.

Effect of Ti on the corrosion resistance of Al-Cr-Fe-Mn-Mo-Ni single and multi-phase CCAs

Five Al0.3Cr0.5Fe2Mn0.25Mo0.15Ni1.5Tix compositionally concentrated alloys were synthesized, forming alloys with an FCC matrix. At Ti concentrations of 5 at% and above, an L21 phase enriched in Al, Ti and Ni was present within the FCC matrix. At Ti concentrations of 9.6 at% Ti and above, a three-phase microstructure containing FCC+L21+Laves phases was formed, with the Laves third phases enriched in Cr and Mo. Ti(IV) was a prominent constituent in the passive film. Resistance to localized corrosion improved with Ti concentration before reaching an optimal concentration and beginning to decrease, likely due to the formation of new phases.

Investigation of phase separation mechanism in AlCoCrFeMo0.05Ni2 high-entropy alloy by first-principles calculations

AlCoCrFeMo0.05Ni2 high-entropy alloy (HEA) has great potential for high-temperature applications. However, its FCC matrix will decompose during annealing, which seriously limits its high-temperature applications. Here, the lattice distortion, Gibbs free energy change, phonon spectra, density of states, and bond length distribution of the FCC matrix were calculated by first-principles calculations. The findings indicate that the primary barrier to the formation of a single homogeneous solid solution in the alloy is more closely associated with Gibbs free energy rather than the degree of lattice distortion. The vibration frequency of Al is not in sync with the overall structure, making it prone to desolvation at elevated temperatures. Furthermore, an analysis of bond lengths reveals that the Al–Ni bond length is significantly shorter than the theoretical value, facilitating the formation of a (Ni, Al)-rich phase. In contrast, the longer bond lengths of Al–Cr and Al–Mo facilitate the detachment of Cr and Mo from the (Ni, Al)-rich phase, resulting in the formation of (Cr, Mo)-rich phase. This in-depth investigation sheds light on the phase decomposition mechanism of high-entropy alloys, offering valuable insights for future research in this field.

Microstructure and mechanical behavior in a spherical L12 nanoprecipitates strengthened Ni35Co27.5Cr27.5Al5Ti5 high-entropy alloy fabricated by direct casting and heat treatment

Intricate thermomechanical processing (TMP) including casting, homogenization, cold rolling, annealing and aging, has been widely used to achieve L12-strengthened CoCrNi-based medium- and high-entropy alloys (MEAs/HEAs). However, a large number of parts are usually manufactured by direct casting. We fabricated a non-equiatomic Ni35Co27.5Cr27.5Al5Ti5 HEA consisting of spherical L12 nanoprecipitates and FCC matrix using casting, homogenization and aging. Notably, both the homogenized and aged Ni35Co27.5Cr27.5Al5Ti5 HEA samples exhibit equiaxed grains, with the latter showcasing uniformly distributed spherical L12 nanoprecipitates in the FCC matrix. The average size and volume fraction of these nanoprecipitates in the aged HEA are ∼10.9 nm and ∼41.9 vol%, respectively. Mechanical testing reveals remarkable improvements in the aged HEA, with a yield strength of ∼916 MPa, an ultimate tensile strength of ∼1220 MPa, and a total elongation of ∼21.5 %. The observed enhancement is primarily attributed to precipitation strengthening mechanism. Digital image correlation (DIC) analysis of tensile deformation demonstrates uniform strain distribution in both the homogenized and aged HEA samples. In addition, electron channeling contrast imaging (ECCI) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) examinations unveil a complex interplay of deformation mechanisms, including multiple planar slip, dislocation shearing coherent L12 precipitates, superpartials, stacking fault (SF) networks, and Lomer-Cottrell (L-C) locks. These mechanisms collectively impede dislocation motion, thereby contributing to the excellent strain-hardening ability and outstanding strength-ductility synergy of the HEA.