Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Microstructural stability and mechanical behavior of FeNiMnCr high entropy alloy under ion irradiation

Journal Article · · Acta Materialia
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [1];  [3]
  1. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  2. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)
  3. Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)
In recent years, high entropy alloys (HEAs) have attracted significant attention due to their excellent mechanical properties and good corrosion resistance, making them potential candidates for high temperature fission and fusion structural applications. However there is very little known about their radiation resistance, particularly at elevated temperatures relevant for energy applications. In the present study, a single phase (face centered cubic) concentrated solid solution alloy of composition 27%Fe-28%Ni-27%Mn-18%Cr was irradiated with 3 or 5.8 MeV Ni ions at temperatures ranging from room temperature to 700 °C and midrange doses from 0.03 to 10 displacements per atom (dpa). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning transmission electron microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray spectrometry (STEM/EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the radiation defects and microstructural changes. Irradiation at higher temperatures showed evidence of relatively sluggish solute diffusion with limited solute depletion or enrichment at grain boundaries. The main microstructural feature at all temperatures was high-density small dislocation loops. Voids were not observed at any irradiation condition. Nano-indentation tests on specimens irradiated at room temperature showed a rapid increase in hardness ~35% and ~80% higher than the unirradiated value at 0.03 and 0.3 dpa midrange doses, respectively. The irradiation-induced hardening was less pronounced for 500 °C irradiations (<20% increase after 3 dpa). Overall, the examined HEA material exhibits superior radiation resistance compared to conventional single phase Fe-Cr-Ni austenitic alloys such as stainless steels. Furthermore, the present study provides insight on the fundamental irradiation behavior of a single phase HEA material over a broad range of irradiation temperatures.
Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1256811
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1326425
Journal Information:
Acta Materialia, Journal Name: Acta Materialia Journal Issue: C Vol. 113; ISSN 1359-6454
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (93)

Nanostructured High-Entropy Alloys with Multiple Principal Elements: Novel Alloy Design Concepts and Outcomes journal May 2004
Wear resistance and high-temperature compression strength of Fcc CuCoNiCrAl0.5Fe alloy with boron addition journal May 2004
Formation of simple crystal structures in Cu-Co-Ni-Cr-Al-Fe-Ti-V alloys with multiprincipal metallic elements journal August 2004
Irradiation Resistance in Al x CoCrFeNi High Entropy Alloys journal August 2015
Local Electronic Effects and Irradiation Resistance in High-Entropy Alloys journal August 2015
Beyond Atomic Sizes and Hume-Rothery Rules: Understanding and Predicting High-Entropy Alloys journal September 2015
Effect of fast-neutron irradiation on mechanical properties of stainless steels: AISI types 304, 316 and 347 journal February 1975
Void formation in solution-treated aisi 316 and 321 stainless steels under 46.5 mev ni6+ irradiation journal April 1976
Void-swelling in irons and ferritic steels journal November 1979
Interstitial loop nucleation and growth in solution-treated type 316 stainless steel irradiated to low doses with 22 MeV C2+ and 46.5 MeV Ni6+ ions journal January 1979
A theory of radiation-induced segregation in concentrated alloys journal August 1979
The effect of soluble carbon on void swelling and low dose dislocation structures in type 316 austenitic stainless steel irradiated with 46.5 MeV Ni6+ ions journal February 1980
The effect of irradiation and post-irradiation annealing on the yield stress and microstructure of vanadium-carbon alloys journal February 1981
Void swelling and segregation of solute in ion-irradiated ferritic steels journal January 1981
Impact of the injected interstitial on the correlation of charged particle and neutron-induced radiation damage journal July 1983
Suppression of void nucleation by injected interstitials during heavy ion bombardment journal April 1984
Void swelling and radiation-induced phase transformation in high purity Fe-Ni-Cr alloys journal November 1986
Radiation-induced segregation in HT-9 martensitic steel journal November 1986
Neutron irradiation of FeMn, FeCrMn and FeCrNi alloys and an explanation of their differences in swelling behavior journal May 1987
Damage profiles in a stainless steel irradiated with Ar and N ions journal March 1991
A method for evaluating radiation-induced grain boundary segregation using ion-irradiated microcrystalline stainless alloys journal December 1991
Temperature dependence of the dislocation microstructure of PCA austenitic stainless steel irradiated in ORR spectrally-tailored experiments journal September 1992
Elemental inhomogeneities developed in stainless steels by radiation-induced segregation journal October 1993
Defect accumulation in pure fcc metals in the transient regime: a review journal November 1993
Dose dependence of the microstructural evolution in neutron-irradiated austenitic stainless steel journal November 1993
The evolution of mechanical property change in irradiated austenitic stainless steels journal November 1993
Dependence of radiation-induced segregation on dose, temperature and alloy composition in austenitic alloys journal August 1995
Sink effect of grain boundary on radiation-induced segregation in austenitic stainless steel journal December 2000
Perspective of ODS alloys application in nuclear environments journal December 2002
Ferritic/martensitic steels – overview of recent results journal December 2002
Microstructural evolution in FeCrNi alloy irradiated with Ni ion under varying temperature journal October 1996
The effect of alloy composition on radiation-induced segregation in FeCrNi alloys journal April 1997
On the mechanism of radiation-induced segregation in austenitic Fe–Cr–Ni alloys journal May 1998
Research and development on vanadium alloys for fusion applications journal October 1998
Radiation-induced material changes and susceptibility to intergranular failure of light-water-reactor core internals journal September 1999
Comparison of swelling and irradiation creep behavior of fcc-austenitic and bcc-ferritic/martensitic alloys at high neutron exposure journal January 2000
Indentation size effects in crystalline materials: A law for strain gradient plasticity journal March 1998
Operating temperature windows for fusion reactor structural materials journal November 2000
Recrystallisation of practical mechanically alloyed iron-base and nickel-base superalloys journal February 1997
Effect of aging treatment on irradiation-induced segregation of high Mn-Cr steel journal March 2011
Irradiation Behavior in High Entropy Alloys journal October 2015
Thermodynamic analysis of the simple microstructure of AlCrFeNiCu high-entropy alloy with multi-principal elements journal June 2009
On the origin of deformation microstructures in austenitic stainless steel: part I—microstructures journal September 2001
Positron annihilation spectroscopy on binary Fe–Cr alloys and ferritic/martensitic steels after neutron irradiation journal October 2011
Materials challenges in nuclear energy journal February 2013
Relative effects of enthalpy and entropy on the phase stability of equiatomic high-entropy alloys journal April 2013
Sluggish diffusion in Co–Cr–Fe–Mn–Ni high-entropy alloys journal August 2013
Radiation-induced solute segregation in metallic alloys journal June 2016
Advanced materials for fusion technology journal November 2005
MeV electron-irradiation-induced structural change in the bcc phase of Zr–Hf–Nb alloy with an approximately equiatomic ratio journal July 2013
In-situ TEM observation of structural changes in nano-crystalline CoCrCuFeNi multicomponent high-entropy alloy (HEA) under fast electron irradiation by high voltage electron microscopy (HVEM) journal April 2015
Deformation and annealing behaviors of high-entropy alloy Al0.5CoCrCuFeNi journal November 2009
Equilibrium phase of high-entropy FeCoNiCrCu0.5 alloy at elevated temperature journal January 2010
Phases, microstructure and mechanical properties of AlxCoCrFeNi high-entropy alloys at elevated temperatures journal March 2014
The effect of oversized solute additions on the microstructure of 316SS irradiated with 5 MeV Ni++ ions or 3.2 MeV protons journal February 2004
Materials design data for reduced activation martensitic steel type EUROFER journal August 2004
Observation and analysis of defect cluster production and interactions with dislocations journal August 2004
The relationship between hardness and yield stress in irradiated austenitic and ferritic steels journal February 2005
Oxide dispersion-strengthened steels: A comparison of some commercial and experimental alloys journal May 2005
Characteristics of microscopic strain localization in irradiated 316 stainless steels and pure vanadium journal March 2006
Effect of hafnium on radiation-induced inter-granular segregation in ferritic steel journal June 2006
Microstructural evolution of proton irradiated T91 journal June 2006
The synergistic influence of temperature and displacement rate on microstructural evolution of ion-irradiated Fe–15Cr–16Ni model austenitic alloy journal August 2007
Ferritic/martensitic steels for next-generation reactors journal September 2007
Dislocation loop evolution under ion irradiation in austenitic stainless steels journal May 2010
Ab-initio based modeling of diffusion in dilute bcc Fe–Ni and Fe–Cr alloys and implications for radiation induced segregation journal April 2011
Assessment of radiation-induced segregation mechanisms in austenitic and ferritic–martensitic alloys journal April 2011
Silicon carbide composites as fusion power reactor structural materials journal October 2011
Modeling radiation induced segregation in Ni–Cr model alloys from first principles journal June 2012
On the radiation-induced segregation: Contribution of interstitial mechanism in Fe–Cr alloys journal February 2013
Present status of vanadium alloys for fusion applications journal December 2014
TEM, XRD and nanoindentation characterization of Xenon ion irradiation damage in austenitic stainless steels journal November 2014
On the superior hot hardness and softening resistance of AlCoCrxFeMo0.5Ni high-entropy alloys journal April 2011
Microstructures and mechanical properties of compositionally complex Co-free FeNiMnCr18 FCC solid solution alloy journal July 2015
Radiation-induced degradation of stainless steel light water reactor internals journal July 2012
On the use of SRIM for computing radiation damage exposure journal September 2013
Effects of helium and hydrogen on radiation-induced microstructural changes in austenitic stainless steel journal September 2015
Comparison of radiation-induced segregation in ultrafine-grained and conventional 316 austenitic stainless steels journal May 2011
Influence of chemical disorder on energy dissipation and defect evolution in concentrated solid solution alloys journal October 2015
Superior radiation-resistant nanoengineered austenitic 304L stainless steel for applications in extreme radiation environments journal January 2015
Solid solution alloys of AlCoCrFeNiTix with excellent room-temperature mechanical properties journal April 2007
Radiation Induced Segregation at Grain Boundary in an Austenitic Stainless Steel under Ion Irradiation journal June 1996
Segregation in irradiated alloys: The inverse Kirkendall effect and the effect of constitution on void swelling journal September 1978
Interatomic potential for studying ageing under irradiation in stainless steels: the FeNiCr model alloy journal October 2013
Defect and solute properties in dilute Fe-Cr-Ni austenitic alloys from first principles journal May 2012
Measuring and Interpreting the Structure of Grain-Boundary Networks: Measuring and Interpreting the Structure of Grain-Boundary Networks journal February 2011
Strengthening Materials by Engineering Coherent Internal Boundaries at the Nanoscale journal April 2009
Designing Radiation Resistance in Materials for Fusion Energy journal July 2014
Recent Developments in Irradiation-Resistant Steels journal August 2008
Radiation-Induced Swelling in an Austenitic Alloy: Observations and Interpretation of the Effects of Helium journal May 1983
An improved technique for determining hardness and elastic modulus using load and displacement sensing indentation experiments journal June 1992
Classification of Bulk Metallic Glasses by Atomic Size Difference, Heat of Mixing and Period of Constituent Elements and Its Application to Characterization of the Main Alloying Element journal January 2005
Phase Instability and Void Formation in Neutron-Irradiated Fe–Cr–Mn–Ni Alloys journal January 1993

Cited By (29)

Effects of chemical alternation on damage accumulation in concentrated solid-solution alloys journal June 2017
Origin of radiation resistance in multi-principal element alloys journal October 2018
Proton Irradiation Effects on Hardness and the Volta Potential of Welding 308L Duplex Stainless Steel journal December 2018
Beating Thermal Coarsening in Nanoporous Materials via High‐Entropy Design journal December 2019
Fabrication of ODS Austenitic Steels and CoCrFeNi High-Entropy Alloys by Spark Plasma Sintering for Nuclear Energy Applications journal May 2019
Thermal Stability and Mechanical Properties of Low-Activation Single-Phase Ti-V-Ta Medium Entropy Alloys journal August 2019
High-Throughput Nanomechanical Screening of Phase-Specific and Temperature-Dependent Hardness in AlxFeCrNiMn High-Entropy Alloys journal August 2019
Effects of Al and Ti Additions on Irradiation Behavior of FeMnNiCr Multi-Principal-Element Alloy journal October 2019
Science and technology in high-entropy alloys journal January 2018
Precipitation behavior of AlxCoCrFeNi high entropy alloys under ion irradiation journal August 2016
Study on the damping behaviour of eutectic high-entropy alloys with lamellar structures journal June 2019
Thermal stability of microstructures and mechanical properties in a Fe-based Fe-Cr-Mn-Cu-Mo multi-component alloy journal February 2019
Effects of pulsed laser surface treatments on microstructural characteristics and hardness of CrCoNi medium-entropy alloy journal August 2019
Effect of irradiation on microstructure and hardening of Cr–Fe–Ni–Mn high-entropy alloy and its strengthened version journal December 2019
Delayed damage accumulation by athermal suppression of defect production in concentrated solid solution alloys journal December 2017
Computational characterization of the structural and mechanical properties of Al x CoCrFeNiTi 1− x high entropy alloys journal July 2019
Corrosion resistance mechanism of the passive films formed on as-cast FeCoCrNiMn high-entropy alloy journal January 2020
Outstanding radiation resistance of tungsten-based high-entropy alloys journal March 2019
Breakthrough applications of high-entropy materials journal August 2018
Irradiation responses and defect behavior of single-phase concentrated solid solution alloys journal September 2018
Dissimilar welding of Al 0.1 CoCrFeNi high-entropy alloy and AISI304 stainless steel journal June 2019
Radiation stability of nanocrystalline single-phase multicomponent alloys journal February 2019
Cold Gas Spraying of a High-Entropy CrFeNiMn Equiatomic Alloy journal January 2020
Evaluation of Radiation Response in CoCrFeCuNi High-Entropy Alloys journal October 2018
A Novel Low-Activation VCrFeTaxWx (x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 1) High-Entropy Alloys with Excellent Heat-Softening Resistance journal December 2018
Configurational Entropy in Multicomponent Alloys: Matrix Formulation from Ab Initio Based Hamiltonian and Application to the FCC Cr-Fe-Mn-Ni System journal January 2019
Hot Deformation Behavior of As-Cast and Homogenized Al0.5CoCrFeNi High Entropy Alloys journal November 2016
Delayed damage accumulation by athermal suppression of defect production in concentrated solid solution alloys text January 2017
Delayed damage accumulation by athermal suppression of defect production in concentrated solid solution alloys [Supplementary Data] preprint December 2017

Similar Records

The effects of carbon on the phase stability and mechanical properties of heat-treated FeNiMnCrAl high entropy alloys
Journal Article · Fri Jan 25 19:00:00 EST 2019 · Materials Science and Engineering. A, Structural Materials: Properties, Microstructure and Processing · OSTI ID:1593731

In situ microstructural evolution in face-centered and body-centered cubic complex concentrated solid-solution alloys under heavy ion irradiation
Journal Article · Fri Jul 31 20:00:00 EDT 2020 · Acta Materialia · OSTI ID:1776842