Microstructure characterization of Al<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>CoCrCuFeNi high-entropy alloy system with multiprincipal elements

A new approach for the design of alloy systems with multiprincipal elements is presented in this research. The Al _x CoCrCuFeNi alloys with different aluminum contents (i.e., x values in molar ratio, x=0 to 3.0) were synthesized using a well-developed arc-melting and casting method. These alloys possessed simple fcc/bcc structures, and their phase diagram was predicted by microstructure characterization and differential thermal analyses. With little aluminum addition, the alloys were composed of a simple fcc solid-solution structure. As the aluminum content reached x=0.8, a bcc structure appeared and constructed with mixed fcc and bcc eutectic phases. Spinodal decomposition occurred further on when the aluminum contents were higher than x=1.0, leading to the formation of modulated plate structures. A single ordered bcc structure was obtained for aluminum contents larger than x=2.8. The effects of high mixing entropy and sluggish cooperative diffusion enhance the formation of simple solid-solution phases and submicronic structures with nanoprecipitates in the alloys with multiprincipal elements rather than intermetallic compounds.     

Mechanical performance of the Al<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>CoCrCuFeNi high-entropy alloy system with multiprincipal elements

The Al _x CoCrCuFeNi alloys with multiprincipal elements (x=the aluminum content in molar ratio, from 0 to 3.0) were synthesized using a well-developed arc-melting and casting method, and their mechanical properties were investigated. These alloys exhibited promising mechanical properties, including excellent elevated-temperature strength and good wear resistance. With the addition of aluminum from x=0 to 3.0, the hardness of the alloys increased from HV 133 to 655, mainly attributed to the increased portion of strong bcc phase to ductile fcc phase, both of which were strengthened by the solid solution of aluminum atoms and the precipitation of nanophases. The alloys exhibited superior high-temperature strengths up to 800 °C, among which the Al_0.5CoCrCuFeNi alloy, especially, had enhanced plasticity and a large strain-hardening capacity. Moreover, the wear resistance of these alloys was similar to that of ferrous alloys at the same hardness level, while the alloys with lower hardness exhibited relatively higher resistance because of their large strain-hardening capacity.     

Effect of Ni on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of CrMnFeCoNi High Entropy Alloy

The effect of Ni content on microstructure and mechanical properties of the CrMnFeCoNi high entropy alloy (HEA) has been studied. The Ni content varied from 0 to 20 at% in the composition (CrMnFeMn)_100?xNi_x, where x?=?0, 2.5, 5, 10, 15, and 20 at%. The alloys were synthesized by vacuum arc melting and the microstructure as well as hardness of the as-cast alloys were studied. Alloys with low Ni content (x?≤?2.5%) consists of a two-phase microstructure of dendritic and inter-dendritic regions with fcc (matrix) and tetragonal (sigma) crystal structure, respectively. When the Ni content is 5 at%, two-phase structure with fcc (matrix) and bcc (secondary phase) is observed, with the addition of Mn-rich inclusions that are present in the entire matrix. Alloys with higher Ni content (x?≥?10, at%) exhibit a single phase of fcc structure. Hardness of the HEAs decreases from 320 to 120 Hv with increase in Ni content, and the high hardness of these alloys with low Ni content is due to the mixture of both fcc and hard tetragonal (sigma) phases.

     

Wear resistance and high-temperature compression strength of Fcc CuCoNiCrAl<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>Fe alloy with boron addition

This study discusses the wear resistance and high-temperature compression strength of CuCoNiCrAl_0.5Fe alloy with various amounts of boron addition. Experiments show that within the atomic ratio of boron addition from x=0 to x=1.0 in CuCoNiCrAl_0.5FeB _x (referred to as B-0 to B-1.0 alloys), the alloys are of fcc structure with boride precipitation. The volume fraction of borides increases with increasing boron addition. The corresponding hardness increases from HV 232 to HV 736. Wear resistance and high-temperature compression strength are significantly enhanced by the formation of boride. The alloys with boride are less tough. The superior wear resistance of B-1.0 alloy, which is even better than SUJ2 wear-resistant steel, indicates that the CuCoNiCrAl_0.5FeB _x alloys have potential applications as ambient- and high-temperature mold, tool, and structural materials.     

Crystallographic and electrochemical characteristics of La0.7Mg0.3Ni5.5? x (Al0.5Mo0.5) x ( x =0 to 0.8) hydrogen storage alloys

The structure, hydrogen storage property, and electrochemical characteristics of the La_0.7Mg_0.3Ni_5.5−x (Al_0.5Mo_0.5) _x (x=0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8) hydrogen storage alloys have been investigated systematically. It has been found by X-ray powder diffraction and Rietveld analysis that the alloys are multiphase and consist of impurity Ni phase and two main crystallographic phases, namely, the La(La, Mg)₂Ni₉ phase and the LaNi₅ phase, and the lattice parameters and the cell volumes of both the La(La, Mg)₂Ni₉ phase and the LaNi₅ phase increase with increasing Al and Mo content in the alloys. The P-C isotherm curves indicated that the hydrogen storage capacity of the alloy first increases and then decreases with increasing x, and the equilibrium pressure decreases with increasing x. The electrochemical measurements show that the maximum discharge capacity first increases from 298.5 (x=0) to 328.3 mAh/g (x=0.6) and then decreases to 304.7 mAh/g (x=0.8). The high rate dischargeability (HRD) of the alloy electrodes increases lineally from 65.4 pct (x=0) to 86.6 pct (x=0.8) at the discharge current density of 1200 mA/g. Moreover, the exchange current density of the alloy electrodes also increases monotonously with increasing x by the linear polarization curves. The hydrogen diffusion coefficient in the alloy bulk, D, increases with increasing Al and Mo content and thus enhances the low-temperature dischargeability (LTD) of the alloy electrodes.     

Formation and Stability of Equiatomic and Nonequiatomic Nanocrystalline CuNiCoZnAlTi High-Entropy Alloys by Mechanical Alloying

Nanocrystalline equiatomic high-entropy alloys (HEAs) have been synthesized by mechanical alloying in the Cu-Ni-Co-Zn-Al-Ti system from the binary CuNi alloy to the hexanary CuNiCoZnAlTi alloy. An attempt also has been made to find the influence of nonequiatomic compositions on the HEA formation by varying the Cu content up to 50 at. pct (Cu _x NiCoZnAlTi; x = 0, 8.33, 33.33, 49.98 at. pct). The phase formation and stability of mechanically alloyed powder at an elevated temperature (1073 K [800 °C] for 1 hour) were studied. The nanocrystalline equiatomic Cu-Ni-Co-Zn-Al-Ti alloys have a face-centered cubic (fcc) structure up to quinary compositions and have a body-centered cubic (bcc) structure in a hexanary alloy. In nonequiatomic alloys, bcc is the dominating phase in the alloys containing 0 and 8.33 at. pct of Cu, and the fcc phase was observed in alloys with 33.33 and 49.98 at. pct of Cu. The Vicker’s bulk hardness and compressive strength of the equiatomic nanocrystalline hexanary CuNiCoZnAlTi HEA after hot isostatic pressing is 8.79 GPa, and the compressive strength is 2.76 GPa. The hardness of these HEAs is higher than most commercial hard facing alloys (e.g., Stellite, which is 4.94 GPa).     

Age Hardening of the Al0.5CoCrNiTi0.5 High-Entropy Alloy

Al_0.5CoCrNiTi_0.5 high-entropy alloy was synthesized by vacuum arc melting in a copper mold. This alloy was aged at 773 K to 1473 K (500 °C to 1200 °C) for 24 hours to investigate the microstructure and hardness. The hardness of the as-cast alloy is HV743, and it exhibits a dendritic structure, in which dendrite is composed of body-centered cubic (bcc), face-centered cubic (fcc), and σ phases, and interdendrite is an eutectic structure consisting of bcc and order bcc phases. Apparent age hardening appears at 873 K to 1173 K (600 °C to 900 °C), and no age softening occurs even after 1473 K (1200 °C) aging. The age hardening of this alloy is attributed to the transformation of the bcc phase to σ phase. Detailed variations of hardness and the microstructure of aged alloys are reported in this article.     

Microstructures and properties of CoCrCuFeNiMox high-entropy alloys fabricated by mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering

CoCrCuFeNiMox (x values in molar ratio, x?=?0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.8) high-entropy alloys were prepared by mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering method. The effects of Mo addition on microstructure and mechanical properties were investigated. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) result showed that the addition of Mo into CoCrCuFeNi high-entropy alloy (HEA) changed the original phase constitution from FCC to FCC?+?σ?+?μ and the peak intensity of (1 1 1) shifted to the left and decreased steadily. The field emission scanning electron microscope confirmed that the Cu-rich second FCC phase disappeared and the σ phase with a tetragonal structure expanded as the Mo content was increased. Additionally, a high density of dimple-like features were seen in CoCrCuFeNi HEA while typical quasi-cleavage facets could be observed from the fracture surfaces of the HEAs with the addition of Mo. The Mo0.8 alloy showed a good wear resistant and appropriate strength with fracture strain 22.70%, fraction coefficient 0.65, hardness 530?HV and compressive strength 1448?MPa.

Special theme block on high entropy alloys, guest edited by Paula Alvaredo Olmos, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain, and Sheng Guo, Chalmers University, Gothenburg, Sweden.     

Influence of Extrusion on the Microstructure and Mechanical Behavior of Mg-9Li-3Al-xSr Alloys

Mg-9Li-3Al-xSr (LA93-xSr, x = 0, 1.5, 2.5, and 3.5 wt pct) alloys were cast and extruded at 533 K (260 °C) with an extrusion ratio of 28. The microstructure and mechanical response are reported and discussed paying particular attention to the influence of extrusion and Sr content on phase composition, strength, and ductility. The results of the current study show that LA93-xSr alloys contain both α-Mg (hcp) and β-Li (bcc) matrix phases. Moreover, the addition of Sr refines the grain size in the as-cast alloys and leads to the formation of the intermetallic compound (Al₄Sr). Our results show significant grain refinement during extrusion and almost no influence of Sr content on the grain size of the extruded alloys. The microstructure evolution during extrusion is governed by continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX) in the α-Mg phase, whereas discontinuous dynamic recrystallization (DDRX) occurs in the β-Li phase. The mechanical behavior of the extruded LA93-xSr alloy is discussed in terms of grain refinement and dislocation strengthening. The tensile strength of the extruded alloys first increases and then decreases, whereas the elongation decreases monotonically with increasing Sr; in contrast, hardness increases for all Sr compositions studied herein. Specifically, when Sr content is 2.5 wt pct, the extruded Mg-9Li-3Al-2.5Sr (LAJ932) alloy exhibits a favorable combination of strength and ductility with an ultimate tensile strength of 235 MPa, yield strength of 221 MPa, and an elongation of 19.4 pct.     

Solidification Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Cast Magnesium-Aluminum-Tin Alloys

The solidification microstructure and mechanical properties of as-cast Mg-Al-Sn alloys have been investigated using computational thermodynamics and experiments. The as-cast microstructure of Mg-Al-Sn alloys consists of α-Mg, Mg₁₇Al₁₂, and Mg₂Sn phases. The amount of Mg₁₇Al₁₂ and Mg₂Sn phases formed increases with increasing Al and Sn content and shows good agreement between the experimental results and the Scheil solidification calculations. Generally, the yield strength of as-cast alloys increases with Al and Sn content, whereas the ductility decreases. This study has confirmed an early development of Mg-7Al-2Sn alloy for structural applications and has led to a promising new Mg-7Al-5Sn alloy with significantly improved strength and ductility comparable with commercial AZ91 alloy.     

含Cu高熵合金的组织结构和力学性能分析

高熵合金（HEAs）是一种由5种或5种以上元素以接近等原子比的方式混合而成的一种新型合金。HEAs的概念为开发具有独特性能的先进材料提供了新的途径,这是传统的基于单一主导元素的微合金化方法无法实现的。由于Cu元素与HEAs中其他元素的混合焓均为正值,因而更容易偏聚形成富Cu的面心立方（fcc）结构。本文主要总结了合金成分、制备方法对含Cu HEAs组织结构的影响规律以及含Cu HEAs的热稳定性。例如Al的添加会使CoCrCuFeNi合金从fcc单相转变为fcc+bcc的双相结构,而Ni含量的增加则会将AlCoCrCuNi的多相组织转变为单相fcc结构。与传统铸造工艺相比,选区激光熔化和喷溅急冷等具有极高的冷却速度,限制了元素的扩散,因而制备而成的AlCoCuFeNi和AlCoCrCuFeNi合金均是bcc结构。组织结构的改变会进一步影响含Cu HEAs力学性能,因而本文也探讨了合金成分、制备工艺和服役温度与力学性能的关系。例如,V的添加可以提高合金的强度,以先进制备方法如选区激光熔化或激光粉末熔融得到的合金具有优于铸造合金的力学性能。     

Nucleation and phase selection in undercooled Fe-Cr-Ni melts: Part I. Theoretical analysis of nucleation behavior

The selection of the primary solidifying phase in undercooled stainless steel melts is theoretically analyzed in terms of nucleation theory. Nucleation phenomena are considered using different models for the solid-liquid interface energy. The classical nucleation theory for sharp interfaces and an improved modification, the diffuse interface theory, are applied. The influence of deviations of the nucleus composition from the overall alloy composition is also revealed. A preferred nucleation of the metastable bcc phase in fcc equilibrium solidification-type alloys is predicted. The critical undercooling of metastable crystallization as a function of alloy composition is calculated for an isoplethal section at 69 at. pct Fe of Fe₆₉Cr_31-x Ni _x alloys. The results are summarized in a phase selection diagram predicting the primary solidification mode as a function of undercooling and melt composition.     

The effect of Mg on the microstructure and mechanical behavior of Al-Si-Mg casting alloys

The microstructure and tensile behavior of two Al-7 pct Si-Mg casting alloys, with magnesium contents of 0.4 and 0.7 pct, have been studied. Different microstructures were produced by varying the solidification rate and by modification with strontium. An extraction technique was used to determine the maximum size of the eutectic silicon flakes and particles. The eutectic Si particles in the unmodified alloys and, to a lesser extent, in the Sr-modified alloys are larger in the alloys with higher Mg content. Large Fe-rich π-phase (Al₉FeMg₃Si₅) particles are formed in the 0.7 pct Mg alloys together with some smaller β-phase (Al₅FeSi) plates; in contrast, only β-phase plates are observed in the 0.4 pct Mg alloys. The yield stress increases with the Mg content, although, at 0.7 pct Mg, it is less than expected, possibly because some of the Mg is lost to π-phase intermetallics. The tensile ductility is less in the higher Mg alloys, especially in the Sr-modified alloys, compared with the lower Mg alloys. The loss of ductility of the unmodified alloy seems to be caused by the larger Si particles, while the presence of large π-phase intermetallic particles accounts for the loss in ductility of the Sr-modified alloy.     

Microstructures and Electrochemical Properties of Cobalt-Free LaNi4.0Ai0.2Fe0.4Cu0.4-x Snx （x = 0 - 0.4） Electrode Alloys Prepared by Casting

The microstructure, hydriding performance, and electrochemical properties of LaNi4.0Ai0.2Fe0.4Cu0.4-x Snx（x = 0- 0.4） hydrogen storage alloys prepared by casting were investigated using XRD, SEM, pressure-composition isotherms, and electrochemical measurements. Substitution of Sn for Cu leads to the precipitation of LaNiSn phase. With increasing amount of tin substitution, cell volume, plateau pressures, and discharge capacities of the alloys decrease, whereas the cycle life of the alloys improves.     

Thermodynamic properties of B2-AlFeNi Alloys. Part I: Investigation by knudsen effusion mass spectrometry

The vaporization of Al-Fe-Ni alloys has been investigated in the temperature range 1180 to 1508 K by Knudsen effusion mass spectrometry (KEMS). Fourteen different compositions were examined in the B2 region: 10 compositions at two fixed Al concentrations,x _Al=0.45 andx _Al=0.50 plus four extra compositions at constantx _Ni/x _Fe=1. For the first time, reliable partial pressures and thermodynamic activities of Al, Fe, and Ni have been evaluated from the measured ion intensities for both the alloy and the pure element. Gibbs energies, partial molar enthalpies, and entropies of formation for all the components have also been obtained. The relative partial molar enthalpies and entropies were found to be nearly temperature independent over the wide temperature ranges investigated. At 1400 K, the Gibbs energy of formation of Al_0.50Fe_0.25Ni_0.25 and Al_0.45Fe_0.275Ni_0.275, with Al(liq), Fe(fcc), and completely paramagnetic Ni(fcc,cpm) as reference states, are −37.9±0.42 kJ/mol and −38.1±0.42 kJ/mol, respectively. At the same temperature, the enthalpies of formation of Al_0.50Fe_0.25Ni_0.25 and Al_0.45Fe_0.275Ni_0.275, with the same reference states, are −51.5±1.7 kJ/mol and −49.2±1.7 kJ/mol, respectively.     

Some observations of the influence of δ-ferrite content on the hardness,galling resistance,and fracture toughness of selected commercially available iron-based hardfacing alloys

Iron-based weld hardfacing deposits are used to provide a wear-resistant surface for a structural base material. Iron-based hardfacing alloys that are resistant to corrosion in oxygenated aqueous environments contain high levels of chromium and carbon, which results in a dendritic microstructure with a high volume fraction of interdendrite carbides which provide the needed wear resistance. The ferrite content of the dendrites depends on the nickel content and base composition of the iron-based hardfacing alloy. The amount of ferrite in the dendrites is shown to have a significant influence on the hardness and galling wear resistance, as determined using ASTM G98 methods. Fracture-toughness (K _IC) testing in accordance with ASTM E399 methods was used to quantify the damage tolerance of various iron-based hardfacing alloys. Fractographic and microstructure examinations were used to determine the influence of microstructure on the wear resistance and fracture toughness of the iron-based hardfacing alloys. A crack-bridging toughening model was shown to describe the influence of ferrite content on the fracture toughness. A higher ferrite content in the dendrites of an iron-based hardfacing alloy reduces the tendency for plastic stretching and necking of the dendrites, which results in improved wear resistance, high hardness, and lower fracture-toughness values. A NOREM 02 hardfacing alloy has the most-optimum ferrite content, which results in the most-desired balance of galling resistance and high K _IC values.     

Study on Microstructures of Al-4 wt pct V Master Alloys

Aluminum (Al)-V master alloys have attracted attention, because they can potentially be efficient grain refiners for wrought aluminum alloys. In this paper, the microstructure and factors affecting the microstructure of Al-4 wt pct V master alloys were investigated by means of controlled melting and casting processes followed by structure examination. The results showed that the type and morphology of the V-containing phases in Al-V master alloys were strongly affected by the temperature of the melt, concentration of vanadium in solution in the melt and the cooling conditions. Two main V-containing phases, Al₃V and Al₁₀V, which have different shapes, were found in the alloys prepared by rapid solidification. The Al₃V phase formed when there were both a high temperature (1273 K to 1673 K (1000 °C to 1400 °C)) and a relatively high vanadium content of 3 to 4 wt pct, while the Al₁₀V phase formed at a low temperature (<1373 K (1100 °C)) or a low vanadium content in the range of 1 to 3 wt pct. The results also showed that the type of V-containing phase that formed in the Al-4 wt pct V master alloy was determined by the instantaneous vanadium content.