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Title: A precipitation-hardened high-entropy alloy with outstanding tensile properties

Abstract

Recent studies indicated that high-entropy alloys (HEAs) possess unusual structural and thermal features, which could greatly affect dislocation motion and contribute to the mechanical performance, however, a HEA matrix alone is insufficiently strong for engineering applications and other strengthening mechanisms are urgently needed to be incorporated. In this work, we demonstrate the possibility to precipitate nanosized coherent reinforcing phase, i.e., L12-Ni3(Ti,Al), in a fcc-FeCoNiCr HEA matrix using minor additions of Ti and Al. Through thermomechanical processing and microstructure controlling, extraordinary balanced tensile properties at room temperature were achieved, which is due to a well combination of various hardening mechanisms, particularly precipitation hardening. The applicability and validity of the conventional strengthening theories are also discussed. In conclusion, the current work is a successful demonstration of using integrated strengthening approaches to manipulate the properties of fcc-HEA systems, and the resulting findings are important not only for understanding the strengthening mechanisms of metallic materials in general, but also for the future development of high-performance HEAs for industrial applications.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [1];  [1];  [3];  [4]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. University of Science and Technology Beijing (China). State Key Laboratory for Advanced Metals and Materials
  2. Tohoku Univ., Sendai (Japan). Advanced Institute for Materials Research
  3. Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Department of Materials Science and Engineering
  4. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Spallation Neutron Source (SNS)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Spallation Neutron Source (SNS)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
OSTI Identifier:
1352752
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1358697
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC05-00OR22725
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Acta Materialia
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 102; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 1359-6454
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; High-entropy alloys; Precipitation hardening; Strengthening mechanisms; Mechanical properties; 3 dimensional atom probe tomography; MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES; NANOCRYSTALLINE NI; STRENGTHENING MECHANISMS; ELEVATED-TEMPERATURES; PRINCIPAL ELEMENTS; GRAIN-GROWTH

Citation Formats

He, J. Y., Wang, H., Huang, H. L., Xu, X. D., Chen, M. W., Wu, Y., Liu, X. J., Nieh, T. G., An, K., and Lu, Z. P. A precipitation-hardened high-entropy alloy with outstanding tensile properties. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1016/j.actamat.2015.08.076.
He, J. Y., Wang, H., Huang, H. L., Xu, X. D., Chen, M. W., Wu, Y., Liu, X. J., Nieh, T. G., An, K., & Lu, Z. P. A precipitation-hardened high-entropy alloy with outstanding tensile properties. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2015.08.076
He, J. Y., Wang, H., Huang, H. L., Xu, X. D., Chen, M. W., Wu, Y., Liu, X. J., Nieh, T. G., An, K., and Lu, Z. P. 2015. "A precipitation-hardened high-entropy alloy with outstanding tensile properties". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2015.08.076. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1352752.
@article{osti_1352752,
title = {A precipitation-hardened high-entropy alloy with outstanding tensile properties},
author = {He, J. Y. and Wang, H. and Huang, H. L. and Xu, X. D. and Chen, M. W. and Wu, Y. and Liu, X. J. and Nieh, T. G. and An, K. and Lu, Z. P.},
abstractNote = {Recent studies indicated that high-entropy alloys (HEAs) possess unusual structural and thermal features, which could greatly affect dislocation motion and contribute to the mechanical performance, however, a HEA matrix alone is insufficiently strong for engineering applications and other strengthening mechanisms are urgently needed to be incorporated. In this work, we demonstrate the possibility to precipitate nanosized coherent reinforcing phase, i.e., L12-Ni3(Ti,Al), in a fcc-FeCoNiCr HEA matrix using minor additions of Ti and Al. Through thermomechanical processing and microstructure controlling, extraordinary balanced tensile properties at room temperature were achieved, which is due to a well combination of various hardening mechanisms, particularly precipitation hardening. The applicability and validity of the conventional strengthening theories are also discussed. In conclusion, the current work is a successful demonstration of using integrated strengthening approaches to manipulate the properties of fcc-HEA systems, and the resulting findings are important not only for understanding the strengthening mechanisms of metallic materials in general, but also for the future development of high-performance HEAs for industrial applications.},
doi = {10.1016/j.actamat.2015.08.076},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1352752}, journal = {Acta Materialia},
issn = {1359-6454},
number = C,
volume = 102,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Sep 29 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Tue Sep 29 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}

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Works referencing / citing this record:

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A high-entropy alloy with hierarchical nanoprecipitates and ultrahigh strength
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