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Title: Deformation mechanisms in an additively manufactured dual-phase eutectic high-entropy alloy

Journal Article · · Acta Materialia
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [3];  [1];  [4]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [5]; ORCiD logo [6];  [7];  [7]; ORCiD logo [7];  [4]; ORCiD logo [3];  [2]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA (United States)
  2. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
  3. Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL (United States)
  4. Texas A & M University, College Station, TX (United States)
  5. Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
  6. Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source, Ithaca, NY (United States)
  7. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Neutron Scattering Division

Nanostructured metals and alloys often exhibit high strengths but at the expense of reduced ductility. Through harnessing the far-from-equilibrium processing conditions of laser powder-bed fusion (L-PBF) additive manufacturing, we develop a dual-phase nanolamellar structure comprised of FCC/L12 and BCC/B2 phases in a Ni40Co20Fe10Cr10Al18W2 eutectic high-entropy alloy (EHEA), which exhibits a combination of ultrahigh yield strength (>1.4 GPa) and large tensile ductility (∼17%). The deformation mechanisms of the additively manufactured EHEA are studied via in-situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The high yield strength mainly results from effective blockage of dislocation motion by the high density of lamellar interfaces. The refined nanolamellar structures and low stacking fault energy (SFE) promote stacking fault (SF)-mediated deformation in FCC/L12 nanolamellae. The accumulation of abundant dislocations and SFs at lamellar interfaces can effectively elevate local stresses to promote dislocation multiplication and martensitic transformation in BCC/B2 nanolamellae. The cooperative deformation of the dual phases, assisted by the semi-coherent lamellar interfaces, gives rise to the large ductility of the as-printed EHEA. In addition, here we also demonstrate that post-printing heat treatment allows us to tune the non-equilibrium microstructures and deformation mechanisms. After annealing, the significantly reduced SFE and thicknesses of the FCC nanolamellae facilitate the formation of massive SFs. The dissolution of nano-precipitates in the BCC/B2 nanolamellae reduces spatial confinement and further promotes martensitic transformation to enhance work hardening. Our work provides fundamental insights into the rich variety of deformation mechanisms underlying the exceptional mechanical properties of the additively manufactured dual-phase nanolamellar EHEAs.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); National Science Foundation (NSF); UMass Amherst Faculty Startup Fund; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-07NA27344; DMR-2004429; DMR-2238204; DMR-1945380; DMR-1829070
OSTI ID:
2283633
Report Number(s):
LLNL-JRNL-860051; 1090977
Journal Information:
Acta Materialia, Vol. 257, Issue N/A; ISSN 1359-6454
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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