Structure and corrosion behavior of FeCoCrNiMo high-entropy alloy coatings prepared by mechanical alloying and plasma spraying

FeCoCrNiMox composite powders were prepared using the mechanical alloying technique and made into high-entropy alloy(HEA)coatings with the face-centered cubic phase using plasma spraying to address the element segregation problem in HEAs and pre-pare uniform HEA coatings.Scanning electron microscopy,transmission electron microscopy,and X-ray diffractometry were employed to characterize these coatings’microstructure and phase composition.The hardness,elastic modulus,and fracture toughness of coatings were tested,and the corrosion resistance was analyzed in simulated seawater.Results show that the hardness of the coating is HV0.1606.15,the modulus of elasticity is 128.42 GPa,and the fracture toughness is 43.98 MPa·m^(1/2).The corrosion potential of the coating in 3.5wt%NaCl solution is-0.49 V,and the corrosion current density is 1.2×10^(−6)A/cm^(2).The electrochemical system comprises three parts:the electrolyte,the adsorption and metallic oxide films produced during immersion,and the FeCoNiCrMo HEA coating.Over in-creasingly long periods,the corrosion reaction rate increases first and then decreases,the corrosion product film comprising metal oxides reaches a dynamic balance between formation and dissolution,and the internal reaction of the coating declines.

Adhesion property of AlCrNbSiTi high-entropy alloy coating on zirconium:experimental and theoretical studies

Experimental scratch tests and first-principles calculations were used to investigate the adhesion property of AlCrNbSiTi high-entropy alloy(HEA)coatings on zirconium substrates.AlCrNbSiTi HEA and Cr coatings were deposited on Zr alloy substrates using multi-arc ion plating technology,and scratch tests were subsequently conducted to estimate the adhesion property of the coatings.The results indicated that Cr coatings had better adhesion strength than HEA coatings,and the HEA coatings showed brittleness.The special quasi-random structure approach was used to build HEA models,and Cr/Zr and HEA/Zr interface models were employed to investigate the cohesion between the coatings and Zr substrate using first-principles calculations.The calculated interface energies showed that the cohesion between the Cr coating and the Zr substrate was stronger than that of the HEA coating with Zr.In contrary to Al or Si in the HEA coating,Cr,Nb,and Ti atoms binded strongly with Zr substrate.Based on the calculated elastic constants,it was found that low Cr and high Al content decreased the mechanical performances of HEA coatings.Finally,this study demonstrated the utilization of a combined approach involving first-principles calculations and experimental studies for future HEA coating development.

A Nitride-Reinforced NbMoTaWHfN Refractory High-Entropy Alloy with Potential Ultra-High-Temperature Engineering Applications

Refractory high-entropy alloys(RHEAs)have promising applications as the new generation of hightemperature alloys in hypersonic vehicles,aero-engines,gas turbines,and nuclear power plants.This study focuses on the microstructures and mechanical properties of the NbMoTaW(HfN)_(x)(x=0,0.3,0.7,and 1.0)RHEAs.The alloys consist of multiple phases of body-centered cubic(BCC),hafnium nitride(HfN),or multicomponent nitride(MN)phases.As the x contents increase,the grain size becomes smaller,and the strength gradually increases.The compressive yield strengths of the NbMoTaWHfN RHEA at ambient temperature,1000,1400,and 1800℃ were found to be 1682,1192,792,and 288 MPa,respectively.The high-temperature strength of this alloy is an inspiring result that exceeds the high temperature and strength of most known alloys,including high-entropy alloys,refractory metals,and superalloys.The HfN phase has a significant effect on strengthening due to its high structural stability and sluggish grain coarsening,even at ultra-high temperatures.Its superior properties endow the NbMoTaWHfN RHEA with potential for a wide range of engineering applications at ultra-high temperatures.This work offers a strategy for the design of high-temperature alloys and proposes an ultra-high-temperature alloy with potential for future engineering applications.

Effect of process parameters on the microstructure and properties of laser-clad FeNiCoCrTi0.5 high-entropy alloy coating

FeNiCoCrTi0.5 coatings with different process parameters were fabricated by laser cladding. The macro-morphology, phase, microstructure, hardness, and wear resistance of each coating were studied. The smoothness and dilution rate of the FeNiCoCrTi0.5 coating generally increased with the increase of specific energy(Es), which is the laser irradiation energy received by a unit area. FeNiCoCrTi0.5 coatings at different parameters had bcc, fcc, and Ti-rich phases as well as equiaxed, dendritic, and columnar structures. When Es increased, the size of each structure increased and the distribution area of the columnar and dendritic structures changed. The prepared FeNiCoCrTi0.5 coating with the Es of 72.22 J·mm-2 had the highest hardness and the best wear resistance, the highest hardness of the coating reached HV 498.37, which is twice the substrate hardness. The average hardness of the FeNiCoCrTi0.5 coating with the Es of 72.22 J·mm-2 was 15.8% higher than the lowest average hardness of the coating with the Es of 108.33 J·mm-2. The worn surface morphologies indicate that the FeNiCoCrTi0.5 coatings exhibited abrasive wear.

Effects of substrate temperature and deposition time on the morphology and corrosion resistance of FeCoCrNiMo0.3 high-entropy alloy coating fabricated by magnetron sputtering

The effects of substrate temperature and deposition time on the morphology and corrosion resistance of FeCoCrNiMo0.3 coating fabricated by magnetron sputtering were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and electrochemical tests.The FeCoCrNiMo0.3 coating was mainly composed of the face-centered cubic phase.High substrate temperature promoted the densification of the coating,and the pitting resistance and protective ability of the coating in 3.5wt%NaCl solution was thus improved.When the deposition time was prolonged at 500℃,the thickness of the coating remarkably increased.Meanwhile,the pitting resistance improved as the deposition time increased from 1 to 3 h;however,further improvement could not be obtained for the coating sputtered for 5 h.Overall,the pitting resistance of the FeCoCrNiMo0.3 coating sputtered at 500℃for 3 h exceeds those of most of the reported high-entropy alloy coatings.

Microstructure and wear resistance of AlCrFeNiMo_(0.5)Si_(x) high-entropy alloy coatings prepared by laser cladding

In recent years,the coating prepared by laser cladding has attracted much attention in the field of wear research.In this work,AlCrFeNiMo_(0.5)Si_(x)(x=0,0.5,1.0,1.5,2.0)high-entropy alloy coatings were designed and prepared on Q235 steel by laser cladding.The effect of Si content on microstructure,microhardness and wear resistance of the coatings was studied in detail.The results indicate that the AlCrFeNiMo_(0.5)Si_(x) highentropy alloy coatings show an excellent bonding between substrate and the cladding layer.The AlCrFeNiMo_(0.5)Si_(x) coatings are composed of nano-precipitated phase with BCC structure and matrix with ordered B2 structure.With the addition of Si,the white phase(Cr,Mo)_(3)Si with cubic structure appears in the interdendritic,and the morphology of the coating(x=2.0)transforms into lamellar eutectic-like structures.The addition of Si enhances the microhardness and significantly improves the wear resistance of the coatings.As x increases from 0 to 2.0,the average hardness of the cladding zone increases from 632 HV to 835 HV,and the wear rate decreases from 1.64×10^(-5) mm^(3)·(N·m)^(-1) to 5.13×10^(-6) mm^(3)·(N·m)^(-1).When x≥1.5,the decreasing trend of the wear rate gradually slows down.The wear rates of Si1.5 and Si2.0 coatings are 5.85×10^(-6) mm^(3)·(N·m)^(-1) and 5.13×10^(-6) mm^(3)·(N·m)^(-1),respectively,which is an order of magnitude lower than that of Q235 steel.

A review of refractory high-entropy alloys

This work reviews recent progress in the alloy design,microstructure,and mechanical properties of refractory high-entropy alloys(RHEAs).What’s more,the underlying strengthening mechanisms and deformation behavior are discussed.Composed mainly of near-equimolar refractory elements,RHEAs have superior mechanical properties,especially at high temperatures.However,many of them have limited room-temperature ductility.Much work has been done to solve this trade-off,and some of the RHEAs have the potential to be used for high-temperature applications in the future.In addition to their mechanical properties,RHEAs have other attractive properties,such as biocompatibility and wear resistance,which are discussed.Finally,current problems and future suggestions for RHEAs are discussed.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of a low activation cast WTaHfTiZr refractory high-entropy alloy

In the face of the requirement that nuclear fusion reactor materials exhibit more excellent thermal,mechanical and physical properties,a novel refractory highentropy alloy,WTaHfTiZr was proposed.The constituent elements were selected in consideration of low activation,high melting point and high thermostability.The alloys were prepared by arc melting.The as-cast alloy shows a dendrite microstructure with two disordered BCC phases,which caused by the preferential nucleation of W and Ta with much higher melting points during solidification.It exhibits a high compressive yield strength of 1,900 MPa and fracture strain of 8.1% at room temperature,and its yield strengths are up to 612 MPa at 700 ℃ and 203 MPa at 1,000 ℃,respectively.The high strengths are attributed mainly to solid solution strengthening and second phase strengthening.This alloy shows great promise as one of the next-generation nuclear fusion reactor materials.

Phase,microstructure and compressive properties of refractory high-entropy alloys CrHfNbTaTi and CrHfMoTaTi

New refractory high-entropy alloys,CrHfNbTaTi and CrHfMoTaTi,derived from the well-known HfNbTaTiZr alloy through principal element substitution were prepared using vacuum arc melting.The phase components,microstructures,and compressive properties of the alloys in the as-cast state were investigated.Results showed that both alloys were composed of BCC and cubic Laves phases.In terms of mechanical properties,the yield strength increased remarkably from 926 MPa for HfNbTaTiZr to 1258 MPa for CrHfNbTaTi,whereas a promising plastic strain of around 15.0%was retained in CrHfNbTaTi.The morphology and composition of the network-shaped interdendritic regions were closely related to the improved mechanical properties due to elemental substitution.Dendrites were surrounded by an incompact interdendritic shell after Mo incorporation,which deteriorated yield strength and accelerated brittleness.

Laser metal deposition of refractory high-entropy alloys for high-throughput synthesis and structure-property characterization

Progress in materials development is often paced by the time required to produce and evaluate a large number of alloys with different chemical compositions.This applies especially to refractory high-entropy alloys(RHEAs),which are difficult to synthesize and process by conventional methods.To evaluate a possible way to accelerate the process,high-throughput laser metal deposition was used in this work to prepare a quinary RHEA,TiZrNbHfTa,as well as its quaternary and ternary subsystems by in-situ alloying of elemental powders.Compositionally graded variants of the quinary RHEA were also analyzed.Our results show that the influence of various parameters such as powder shape and purity,alloy composition,and especially the solidification range,on the processability,microstructure,porosity,and mechanical properties can be investigated rapidly.The strength of these alloys was mainly affected by the oxygen and nitrogen contents of the starting powders,while substitutional solid solution strengthening played a minor role.

Preparation of High-Entropy Alloy-Ceramic Coating Compos-ites on Steel Surfaces by Combined Process and Their Mechanical Properties

A combined process of molten salt electro-deoxidation and vacuum hot-pressing sintering was proposed to prepare AlCrFeNiTi_(x) high-entropy alloy(HEA)-TiN ceramic coating composites on low-carbon steel surfaces,where nitrides were introduced from BN isolater between graphite mold and HEA powders.The effect of Ti content on the microstructure,ultimate tensile strength,hardness,and wear resistance of the composites was investigated,and the bonding mechanism was elucidated.Results demonstrate that the composites have excellent hardness and wear resistance.The hardness of composites is significantly increased with the increase in Ti content.The extremely high wear resistance is attributed to the extremely high melting point and high thermal hardness of TiN,which can effectively prevent oxidation deformation of the worn surface.

难熔高熵合金涂层制备及其应用进展

概述了难熔金属和高熵合金领域的研究现状,介绍了难熔高熵合金涂层研发制备及其应用进展,总结了难熔高熵合金涂层面临的关键科学难题和工程应用挑战,并对后续发展方向进行了展望。

激光熔覆NbMoTaWV难熔高熵合金涂层的高温氧化行为

难熔高熵合金涂层是近年来高熵合金领域的研究热点,有望成为未来重要的高温结构和功能材料。本工作采用激光熔覆技术制备了NbMoTaWV难熔高熵合金涂层,研究了其在800℃下的高温氧化行为,重点分析了不同氧化时间(10、20、30、50、100 h)的NbMoTaWV难熔高熵合金涂层组织结构演变、显微硬度变化及界面元素扩散行为。实验结果表明:NbMoTaWV难熔高熵合金涂层主要由Fe_(7)Ta_(3)型HCP固溶体相、(Fe, Ni)基体相及未熔高熵合金粉末相组成,而经不同时间氧化处理后,涂层表面生成了以Fe_(2)O_(3)和Fe_(3)O_(4)为主的氧化物相。800℃高温氧化处理后,NbMoTaWV高熵合金涂层内部组织结构变化不大,仅部分氧元素扩散进入到涂层内部。高温氧化导致NbMoTaWV难熔高熵合金涂层的显微硬度有所提升,但随着氧化时间的延长,NbMoTaWV难熔高熵合金涂层的显微硬度呈现出先增加后降低的趋势,且当氧化时间为20 h时,其显微硬度达到最大,这与高温扩散所导致的固溶强化有关。同时,TG-DSC证实了NbMoTaWV难熔高熵合金涂层在800℃具有优异的高温稳定性。

Refractory high-entropy alloys:A focused review of preparation methods and properties

In recent years,high-entropy alloys(HEAs)have become prominent metallic materials due to their unique design strategies and excellent mechanical properties.The HEAs-inherent high-entropy,lattice-distortion,sluggish-diffusion,and cocktail effects make HEAs maintain high strength,oxidation resistance,corrosion resistance,wear resistance,and other excellent comprehensive properties,showing stronger competitiveness relative to traditional alloys.Refractory high-entropy alloys(RHEAs)are considered as a new kind of high-temperature materials with great application prospects due to their excellent mechanical properties and have the potential to replace nickel-based superalloy as the next generation of high-temperature materials.We reviewed the research status and preparation methods of RHEAs in recent years,including the metallurgical smelting,powder metallurgy,magnetron sputtering,and additive manufacturing technologies.The microstructure and phase-transformation process of RHEAs were analyzed.The mechan-ical properties and main strengthening and toughening mechanisms of RHEAs,such as solid-solution strengthening,precipitation strengthening,and the transformation-induced plasticity(TRIP),were discussed,and the deformation mechanism of RHEAs was revealed.The properties of RHEAs,including high strength,oxidation resistance,corrosion and wear resistance were reviewed.RHEAs will meet the huge market demand in the engineering materials field,but there are still many challenges,such as the tradeoff between high strength and high ductility,structural design,and performance optimization of RHEAs with brittle BCC structures.We believe that this combination of knowledge may shape the future of RHEAs and break through the mutually exclusive conundrum of high strength and high toughness for RHEAs.

Light-weight refractory high-entropy alloys: A comprehensive review

In recent years,high-entropy alloys(HEAs)have become a research hotspot in materials community,and great progress has been made in exploring various high-performance HEAs.As a special class,the light-weight refractory high-entropy alloys(RHEAs)own both excellent high-temperature comprehensive properties and low density and have accordingly attracted more and more attention.In this paper,we presented a comprehensive review of the recent progress and status in light-weight RHEAs.Based on an exhausting search of the literature reports,one strategy in terms of phase numbers after preparation was first proposed to classify the light-weight RHEAs into three categories.Then,the status on the fundamental thermodynamic and thermophysical data/databases,computational approaches for alloy designing,and preparation/fabrication techniques of light-weight RHEAs was introduced one after another.After that,the progress on mechanical properties and oxidation/corrosion/wear behaviors of light-weight RHEAs at room and high temperatures was summarized.Finally,the conclusions of this review were drawn.By pointing out the shortcomings of the current research,the follow-up development directions in the field of light-weight RHEAs were also given.

Dynamic compression behavior of TiZrNbV refractory high-entropy alloys upon ultrahigh strain rate loading

In this study,the dynamic compressive response behavior of a body-centered cubic(BCC)single-phase TiZrNbV refractory high-entropy alloy(RHEA)was investigated under impact at speeds of 313-1584 m s^(-1)using two-stage,gas-gun-driven,high-speed plate-impact experiments;recovery sample analysis;and theoretical calculations.The strain rate and pressure were approximately 10^(7) s^(−1) and 5.07-29.37 GPa,respectively.The results showed that the TiZrNbV RHEA had a Hugoniot elastic limit of 4.12-5.86 GPa and a spall strength of 1.84-2.03 GPa.The initial yield strength of the alloy showed a strong strain-rate dependence and could be described by the modified Zerilli-Armstrong model,while the phonon-damping effect was the main reason for its high strain-rate sensitivity.Microstructural analysis showed that the dynamic deformation of the TiZrNbV RHEA was controlled by the dislocation slip,dislocation proliferation,intersection of the deformation bands,and grain refinement.The analysis also showed that the intergranular,transgranular,and mixed-type cracks dominated the spall failure of the material.The dynamic Hall-Petch effect and pinning from the lattice distortion led to high dynamic yield strength.The critical strain rate for the phonon drag effect was positively related to the relative atomic mass and local strain field of the metals.Within the experimental loading range,the RHEA showed good structural stability,and simultaneously,the theoretical calculation method for the equation of state based on a cold-energy mixture could accurately predict its shock-response behavior.The valence-electron concentration(VEC)had a direct effect on the shock-compression properties of the HEAs;higher VEC implied more difficulty in compressing the HEAs.The findings of this study provide insights into understanding the mechanical response characteristics of RHEAs under extreme conditions such as high-speed impact and ultrahigh strain-rate loading.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of the Ti_(62)Nb_(12)Mo_(12)Ta_(12)W_(2)Refractory High Entropy Alloy Prepared through Spark Plasma Sintering

A refractory high entropy alloy Ti_(62)Nb_(12)Mo_(12)Ta_(12)W_(2)was prepared by mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering.The microstructure and mechanical properties of the Ti_(62)Nb_(12)Mo_(12)Ta_(12)W_(2)alloy were analyzed.The experimental results show that the microstructure of the alloy is composed of two BCC phases,an FCC precipitated phase,and the precipitated phase which is a mixture of TiC,TiN and TiO.The alloy exhibits good room temperature compressive properties.The plasticity of the sample sintered at 1550℃can reach 10.8%,and for the sample sintered at 1600℃,the yield strength can be up to 2032 MPa,in the meantime the plasticity is 9.4%.The alloy also shows high strength at elevated temperature.The yield strength of the alloy exceeds 420 MPa at 900℃,and value of which is still above 200 MPa when the test temperature reaches 1000℃.Finally,the compressive yield strength model at room temperature is constructed.The prediction error of the model ranges from−7.9%to−12.4%,expressing fair performance.

Microstructural Evolutions and Mechanical Properties of Energetic Al_(1) (TiZrNbTaMoCr)_(15) High-Entropy Alloys

The present study focuses on investigating the microstructural evolutions and mechanical properties of energetic Al_(1)(TiZrNbTaMoCr)_(15) refractory high-entropy alloys with the different heat treatments at low Al content state. It is found that even with a reduction in the Al content, the strength of these alloys remains unaffected at room temperature and high temperature, while the plasticity improves significantly. In particular, the coherent BCC/B_(2) microstructure with needle-like B_(2) nanoprecipitates dispersed into the BCC matrix is formed in 873 K-aged Al_(1)Ti_(6)Zr_(2)Nb_(3)Ta_(3)Mo_(0.5)Cr_(0.5) alloy. Therefore, this alloy exhibits the highest compression yield strength (σ_(YS) = 1333 and 717 MPa) at room temperature and 1073 K, respectively. After 973 K-aged, the coherent BCC/B_(2) microstructure underwent destabilization, and the B_(2) phase transforms into the brittle Zr5Al3 phase which then coarsens and dominates the microstructure of S3-AlTa_(3) alloy after 1073 K-aged. Moreover, these current alloys exhibit exceptionally high theoretical exothermic enthalpy (ΔH), surpassing 11606 J·g^(−1), which highlights their significant potential as innovative high-performance energetic structural materials.

Microstructure and Wear Resistance Properties of FeCrAl-Cu(Ni,Co)HEA Coatings Synthesized by Laser Remelting

FeCrAlCu,FeCrAlCuNi,FeCrAlCuCo,and FeCrAlCuNiCo high-entropy alloy(HEA)coatings were synthesized on the surface of 45#steel through cold spraying-assisted laser remelting.Results reveal that all four HEA coatings are composed of face-centered cubic+body-centered cubic phases.Additionally,the microstructure of the coatings consists of columnar dendrites.With the simultaneous addition of both Ni and Co elements,the columnar dendritic grains are gradually refined in the coating.Moreover,the FeCrAlCuNiCo HEA coating exhibits excellent friction performance with the coating hardness of 5847.7 MPa,friction factor of 0.45,and wear rate of 3.72×10^(−5) mm^(3)·N^(−1)·m^(−1).The predominant wear mechanism is the adhesive wear and abrasive wear.

Anomalous microstructure and tribological evaluation of AlCrFeNiW_(0.2)Ti_(0.5)high-entropy alloy coating manufactured by laser cladding in seawater

To evaluate the potential of high entropy alloys for marine applications,a new high entropy alloy coating of AlCrFeNiW_(0.2)Ti_(0.5)was designed and produced on Q235 steel via laser cladding.The microstructure,microhardness and tribological performances sliding against YG6 cemented carbide,GCr15 steel and Si_(3)N_(4)ceramic in seawater were studied in detail.The AlCrFeNiW_(0.2)Ti_(0.5)coating showed an anomalous’sunflower-like’morphology and consisted of BCC and ordered B2 phases.The microhardness was approximately 692.5 HV,which was 5 times higher than substrate.The coating showed more excellent tribological performances than Q235 steel and SUS304,a typical material used in seawater environment,sliding against all three coupled balls in seawater.Besides,the wear and friction of AlCrFeNiW_(0.2)Ti_(0.5)coating sliding against YG6 in seawater were most mild.The main reason was the generation of Mg(OH)_(2),CaCO_(3),metal oxides and hydroxides and the formation of protective tribo-film on the worn surface of AlCrFeNiW_(0.2)Ti_(0.5)coating in the process of reciprocated sliding.This would effectively hinder the direct contact between the worn surfaces of AlCrFeNiW_(0.2)Ti_(0.5)coating and YG6 ball,resulting in a decrease of friction coefficient and wear rate.Thus the YG6 was an ideal coupled material for AlCrFeNiW_(0.2)Ti_(0.5)coating in seawater,and the coating would become a promising wear-resisting material in ocean environment.