Tailoring mechanical and magnetic properties of AlCoCrFeNi high-entropy alloy via phase transformation

doi:10.1016/j.jmst.2020.08.063

Abstract

Abstract:

Phase constitutions, either changed by alloying or by phase transformation, are the key factors to determine the magnetic and mechanical performances of high-entropy alloys (HEAs). Using the AlCoCrFeNi HEA as a candidate alloy, this paper demonstrates the effect of phase transformation on both the mechanical and magnetic properties in the multi-phase system. With increasing heat treatment temperature, the sigma (σ) and face-centered-cubic (FCC) phases disappeared at 1000 °C and 1200 °C, respectively. Such volume fraction changes of σ, FCC and body-centered-cubic (BCC) phases have divergent effects on mechanical and magnetic properties. The excellent strength-ductility combination will be achieved as the disappearance of σ phase and formation of FCC phase. As for the magnetic properties, the volume fraction of BCC phase plays a major role in determining its saturation magnetization. When the volume fraction change of BCC phase is not evident, the higher volume fraction of FCC phase will influence its magnetization at 2 T. Our present work might provide insights into analyzing the evolution of both mechanical and magnetic properties of HEAs caused by complex phase transformation.

Key words: High-entropy alloy, Phase transformation, Mechanical property, Magnetic property

Chendong Zhao, Jinshan Li, Yudong Liu, William Yi Wang, Hongchao Kou, Eric Beaugnon, Jun Wang. Tailoring mechanical and magnetic properties of AlCoCrFeNi high-entropy alloy via phase transformation[J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2021, 73: 83-90.

Figures/Tables 11

Fig. 1. (a) DSC and (b) dilatation heating curves of the as-cast AlCoCrFeNi HEA measured at the heating rate of 10 K/min. The red line and the blue line are the origin curve and its differential curve, respectively.

Table 1 Summary of characteristic phase transformation of AlCoCrFeNi HEA upon heating.

Prepare method	Method to investigate phase transformation	Phase transformation temperature (°C)	Reference
Arc melting	DSC	597/963	[29]
Arc melting	DSC and thermal expansion	571/647	[37]
Arc melting	DSC and thermal expansion	527/627/962	[38]
Vacuum gas-atomization	DSC	200/600	[39]
Vacuum induction-melting	DSC and thermal expansion	595/958/1200	Current study

Fig. 2. XRD patterns of AlCoCrFeNi HEA at as-cast state and different heat treatment conditions.

Fig. 3. Back-scattered electron image illustrating (a) the microstructures of AlCoCrFeNi HEA at as-cast condition, which is composed of (b) ID and (c) DC region and the enlarge region marked by origin rectangle is shown in (d).

Fig. 4. Back-scattered electron image illustrating the microstructures of AlCoCrFeNi HEA under different heat treatment conditions: (a, b) 650 °C -10 h, (c, d) 1000 °C -10 h, (e, f) 1200 °C -10 h, (g, h) 1250 °C -10 h (the left is the low magnification and right shows its higher magnification BSE image at the grain boundary).

Fig. 5. EBSD phase map of the AlCoCrFeNi HEA at as-cast state and different heat treatment conditions: (a) as-cast, (b) 650 °C —10 h, (c) 1000 °C -10 h, (d) 1200 °C -10 h, (e) 1250 °C -10 h. The blue, green and red colour denote σ, FCC and BCC phases, respectively.

Fig. 6. Engineering compressive stress-strain curves of AlCoCrFeNi HEA at as-cast state and different heat treatment conditions compressed under room temperature.

Table 2 Mechanical properties of AlCoCrFeNi HEA at as-cast state and different heat treatment conditions.

Alloy state	Compressive yield strength (MPa)	Ultimate compressive strength (MPa)	Fracture strain (%)
As-cast	1348 ± 13	2255 ± 15	12 ± 1
650 °C-10 h	1397 ± 22	1965 ± 44	9 ± 1
1000 °C-10 h	910 ± 13	3015 ± 25	38 ± 2
1200 °C-10 h	1148 ± 21	2606 ± 24	28 ± 2
1250 °C-10 h	1247 ± 39	2531 ± 20	25 ± 2

Table 3 Phase fraction (%) and magnetic properties of AlCoCrFeNi HEA at as-cast and different heat treatment conditions.

Alloy state	BCC/%	FCC/%	σ/%	Magnetization at 2 T and 298 K (emu/cm³)
As-cast	66.9	32.1	1.0	201.66
650 °C-10 h	58.5	36.1	5.4	150.78
1000 °C-10 h	57.8	42.2	0.0	139.75
1200 °C-10 h	85.6	14.4	0.0	358.06
1250 °C-10 h	99.8	0.2	0.0	382.68

Fig. 7. (a) M-H curves (range from -20000 Oe to 20000 Oe, measured at 298 K) of AlCoCrFeNi HEA at as-cast state and different heat treatment conditions. (b) Comparation of M-H curves (range from -80000 Oe to 80000 Oe, measured at 298 K) of AlCoCrFeNi HEA heat-treated at 650 °C and 1000 °C.

Table 4 Comparison of different methods applied to explain the evolution of magnetic properties of HEAs reported in the literature.

Composition	Phase structure	Alloy state	Applied method	Reference
FeCoNi(AlSi)_x	BCC + FCC	As-cast	The change of XRD peak	[18]
CoFeMnNiX (X = Al, Cr, Ga, and Sn)	BCC + FCC +Co₂MnSn	As-cast	AIMD simulation +DFT calculation	[24]
AlNiCo(CuFe)	BCC + FCC	Annealed at 1000 °C for 48 h	Mathematics analysis	[25]
AlCoCuFeNi_x	BCC + FCC	As-cast	I_BCC/I_FCC in XRD	[26]
Al_xCoCrFeNi	BCC + FCC	As-cast	Phase types +mathematics analysis	[34]
FeCoNi(MnAl)_x	BCC + FCC	As-cast	The change of XRD peak	[46]
FeCoNi(CuAl_)x	BCC + FCC	As-cast	I_BCC/I_FCC in XRD + TEM	[47]
FeCoNi(CuAl)_0.8Ga_x (0 < x < 0.08)	BCC + FCC	Annealed at different temperatures (350-450 °C)	I_BCC/I_FCC in XRD + TEM	[48]
FeCoNi(CuAl)_0.8Ga_0.06	BCC + FCC	As-cast	I_BCC/I_FCC in XRD + TEM	[49]
AlCoCrFeNi	BCC + FCC +σ	As-cast and annealed at 650/1000/1200/1250 °C	ΔV in EBSD	Current study

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