Effect of Aluminum Content on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Al x CoCrFeMo0.5Ni High-Entropy Alloys

High-entropy alloys Al _x CoCrFeMo_0.5Ni with varied Al contents (x = 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0) have been designed based on the Al _x CoCrCuFeNi system to improve mechanical properties for room and elevated temperatures. They have been investigated for microstructure and mechanical properties. As the aluminum content increases, the as-cast structure evolves from face-centered cubic dendrite + minor σ-phase interdendrite at x = 0 to B2 dendrite with body-centered cubic (bcc) precipitates + bcc interdendrite with B2 precipitates at x = 2.0. This confirms the strong bcc-forming tendency of Al. The room-temperature Vickers hardness starts from the lowest, HV 220, at x = 0, attains to the maximum, HV 720, at x = 1.0, and then decreases to HV 615 at x = 2.0. Compared with the base alloy system, the current alloy system has a superior combination of hardness and fracture toughness. In addition, Al _x CoCrFeMo_0.5Ni alloys except x = 0 display a higher hot hardness level than those of Ni-based superalloys, including In 718 and In 718 H, up to 1273 K and show great potential in high-temperature applications.