Simultaneously enhancing the strength and strain hardenability by Si substitution in metastable high-entropy alloys

H. Zhang, X. Y. Xue, M. J. Xue, J. S. Li, M. J. Lai

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

We have demonstrated the potential to simultaneously enhance the strength and strain hardenability of metastable dual-phase high-entropy alloys (HEAs) by substituting the constituent transition metal element with Si. This leads to the development of a face-centered cubic single-phase Fe50Mn30Cr10Si10 HEA with excellent strength-ductility synergy, low density and low alloying costs. The substantial solid-solution hardening effect achieved through Si-alloying leads to a higher yield stress for this HEA compared to its dual-phase counterpart when their grain sizes are comparable. In addition, the Si-alloying imparts a low stacking fault energy (∼12.8 mJ/m2) to this HEA, facilitating the progressive formation of hexagonal close-packed martensite plates during plastic deformation. Furthermore, the Si-alloying increases the volume fraction of the deformation-induced martensite plates (up to 75.5%) and renders their thickness ultra-thin (<20 nm), thereby leading to remarkable strain hardenability.

Original languageEnglish
Article number145678
JournalMaterials Science and Engineering: A
Volume886
DOIs
StatePublished - 17 Oct 2023

Keywords

  • Electron backscatter diffraction
  • High entropy alloys
  • Martensitic transformation
  • Mechanical properties
  • Transmission electron microscopy

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