skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Evolution of microstructure and strength of a high entropy alloy undergoing the strain-induced martensitic transformation

Journal Article · · Materials Science and Engineering. A, Structural Materials: Properties, Microstructure and Processing

In a recent work, we have reported outstanding strength and work hardening exhibited by a metastable high entropy alloy (HEA), Fe42Mn28Co10Cr15Si5 (in at. %), undergoing the strain-induced martensitic transformation from metastable gamma austenite (γ) to stable epsilon martensite (ε). However, the alloy exhibited poor ductility, which was attributed to the presence of the brittle sigma (σ) phase in its microstructure. The present work reports the evolution of microstructure, strength, and ductility of a similar HEA, Fe38.5Mn20Co20Cr15Si5Cu1.5 (in at. %), designed to suppress the formation of σ phase. A cast and then rolled plate of the alloy was processed into four conditions by annealing for 10 and 30 min at 1100 °C and by friction stir processing (FSP) at tool rotation rates of 150 and 400 revolutions per minute (RPM) to facilitate detailed examinations of variable initial grain structures. Neutron diffraction and electron microscopy were employed to characterize the microstructure and texture evolution. The initial materials had variable grain size but nearly 100% γ structure. Diffusionless strain induced γ→ε phase transformation took place under compression with higher rate initially and slower rate at the later stages of deformation, independent on the initial grain size. The transformation facilitated part of plastic strain accommodation and rapid strain hardening owing to a transformation-induced dynamic Hall-Petch-type barrier effect, increase in dislocation density, and texture. Here, the peak strength of nearly 2 GPa was achieved under compression using the structure created by double pass FSP (150 RPM followed by 150 RPM). Remarkably, the tensile elongation exhibited by the alloy was nearly 20% with fracture surfaces featuring a combination of ductile dimples and cleavage.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); National Science Foundation (NSF)
Grant/Contract Number:
89233218CNA000001; OIA-1757371
OSTI ID:
2008297
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-23-26972
Journal Information:
Materials Science and Engineering. A, Structural Materials: Properties, Microstructure and Processing, Vol. 887; ISSN 0921-5093
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (56)

Reversed strength-ductility relationship in microstructurally flexible high entropy alloy journal September 2018
Understanding martensite and twin formation in austenitic steels: A model describing TRIP and TWIP effects journal April 2017
MILK: a Python scripting interface to MAUD for automation of Rietveld analysis journal July 2023
Effect of Mn and V on structure and mechanical properties of high-entropy alloys based on CoCrFeNi system journal April 2014
Extremely high fatigue resistance in an ultrafine grained high entropy alloy journal June 2019
Microstructural development in equiatomic multicomponent alloys journal July 2004
Design of a twinning-induced plasticity high entropy alloy journal August 2015
Deformation behavior and microstructure/texture evolution of an annealed 304 AISI stainless steel sheet. Experimental and micromechanical modeling journal February 2007
Effects of heat treatment and build orientation on the evolution of ϵ and α′ martensite and strength during compressive loading of additively manufactured 304L stainless steel journal August 2020
Kinetics of strain-induced martensitic nucleation journal April 1975
In-situ SEM observation of phase transformation and twinning mechanisms in an interstitial high-entropy alloy journal April 2018
Accurate characterization of machine compliance for simple compression testing journal June 1997
A crystallographic extension to the Olson-Cohen model for predicting strain path dependence of martensitic transformation journal March 2019
Nonbasal Slip Systems Enable a Strong and Ductile Hexagonal-Close-Packed High-Entropy Phase journal February 2019
A mechanism for the strain-induced nucleation of martensitic transformations journal July 1972
Corrosion-resistant high entropy alloy with high strength and ductility journal June 2019
Influence of the direction of deformation on the transition of austenite into martensite journal May 1965
Microstructure and mechanical behavior of direct metal laser sintered Inconel alloy 718 journal March 2016
Modeling of plasticity-induced martensitic transformation to achieve hierarchical, heterogeneous, and tailored microstructures in stainless steels journal May 2021
Thermodynamic calculation of stacking fault energy of the Fe–Mn–Si–C high manganese steels journal March 2014
Metastable high-entropy dual-phase alloys overcome the strength–ductility trade-off journal May 2016
Strong and Ductile Non-equiatomic High-Entropy Alloys: Design, Processing, Microstructure, and Mechanical Properties journal August 2017
Multicomponent and High Entropy Alloys journal August 2014
Texture Analysis with MTEX – Free and Open Source Software Toolbox journal February 2010
High dislocation density–induced large ductility in deformed and partitioned steels journal August 2017
Transformation mechanism of α′-martensite in an austenitic Fe–Mn–C–N alloy journal September 2007
Microstructural engineering through high enthalpy states: implications for far-from-equilibrium processing of structural alloys journal June 2023
A precipitation-hardened high-entropy alloy with outstanding tensile properties journal January 2016
The martensite transformation in 18% Cr-8% Ni steels journal July 1964
Extremely high strength and work hardening ability in a metastable high entropy alloy journal July 2018
Using high-pressure torsion for metal processing: Fundamentals and applications journal August 2008
Effect of V content on microstructure and mechanical properties of the CoCrFeMnNiVx high entropy alloys journal April 2015
Effect of stacking fault energy on work hardening behaviors in Fe–Mn–Si–C high manganese steels by varying silicon and carbon contents journal November 2015
A novel, single phase, non-equiatomic FeMnNiCoCr high-entropy alloy with exceptional phase stability and tensile ductility journal February 2014
A framework for shear driven dissolution of thermally stable particles during friction stir welding and processing journal December 2016
A TRIP-assisted dual-phase high-entropy alloy: Grain size and phase fraction effects on deformation behavior journal June 2017
Principles of equal-channel angular pressing as a processing tool for grain refinement journal September 2006
Nanostructured High-Entropy Alloys with Multiple Principal Elements: Novel Alloy Design Concepts and Outcomes journal May 2004
New multiphase compositionally complex alloys driven by the high entropy alloy approach journal January 2019
High-Pressure Double Torsion as a Severe Plastic Deformation Process: Experimental Procedure and Finite Element Modeling journal February 2015
Stress-assisted (γ→α′) and strain-induced (γ→ε→α′) phase transformation kinetics laws implemented in a crystal plasticity model for predicting strain path sensitive deformation of austenitic steels journal January 2021
Equal-Channel Angular Extrusion of a Low-Density High-Entropy Alloy Produced by High-Energy Cryogenic Mechanical Alloying journal September 2014
Suppressed martensitic transformation under biaxial loading in low stacking fault energy metastable austenitic steels journal April 2018
Effects of plasticity-induced martensitic transformation and grain refinement on the evolution of microstructure and mechanical properties of a metastable high entropy alloy journal January 2022
Plastic deformation and phase transformation in textured austenitic stainless steel journal November 1970
Spectral database solutions to elasto-viscoplasticity within finite elements: Application to a cobalt-based FCC superalloy journal July 2015
Multiscale Modeling of Microstructure-Property Relationships of Polycrystalline Metals during Thermo-Mechanical Deformation journal January 2018
Enhanced strength and ductility in a friction stir processing engineered dual phase high entropy alloy journal November 2017
Microstructurally flexible high entropy alloys: Linkages between alloy design and deformation behavior journal September 2020
Coupling elasto-plastic self-consistent crystal plasticity and implicit finite elements: Applications to compression, cyclic tension-compression, and bending to large strains journal June 2017
Crystal plasticity modeling of strain-induced martensitic transformations to predict strain rate and temperature sensitive behavior of 304 L steels: Applications to tension, compression, torsion, and impact journal September 2022
Activity of pyramidal I and II slip in Mg alloys as revealed by texture development journal February 2018
Rietveld texture analysis from TOF neutron diffraction data journal September 2010
Metastability driven hierarchical microstructural engineering: Overview of mechanical properties of metastable complex concentrated alloys journal November 2020
Defect structure and hardness in nanocrystalline CoCrFeMnNi High-Entropy Alloy processed by High-Pressure Torsion journal July 2017
Texture evolution and enhanced grain refinement under high-pressure-double-torsion journal August 2014