Effects of V Addition on Microstructural Evolution and Mechanical Properties of AlCrFe2Ni2 High-Entropy Alloys

doi:10.1007/s40195-022-01473-9

Abstract

Abstract:

The effects of vanadium addition on the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of AlCrFe₂Ni₂ high-entropy alloy (HEA) were investigated. The results showed that the AlCrFe₂Ni₂V_0.2 HEA was composed of FCC phase, disordered BCC phase, and ordered BCC (B2) phase. With the increase in vanadium content, the formation of FCC phase was inhibited, and a transition from FCC phase to BCC phase occurred. The FCC phase disappeared completely when the value of x exceeds 0.4 in AlCrFe₂Ni₂V_x HEAs. Besides, the amplitude-modulated microstructure morphology transformed from a B2 phase matrix with dispersed BCC nano-phase into an alternating interconnected B2 and BCC phases. Vanadium element has the function of stabilizing BCC phase and B2 phase in AlCrFe₂Ni₂V_x alloys. The hardness of AlCrFe₂Ni₂V_x alloys increased from HV 332.4 to HV 590.7, while the yield strength increased from 765 to 1744.6 MPa with increasing vanadium content, which was mainly due to the decreasing content of FCC phase and the solid solution strengthening of vanadium element. At the same time, the compression ratio of the alloys decreased with the disappearance of the FCC phase. Among the alloys, the AlCrFe₂Ni₂V_0.2 alloy possessed the most excellent comprehensive mechanical properties with yield strength, fracture strength, and compressive ratio 1231.1, 2861.9 MPa, and 44.5%, respectively.

Key words: High-entropy alloys, Microstructure, Phase transformation, Mechanical properties, Solid solution strengthening

Shougang Duan, Qian Zhang, Wenxuan Li, Yong Dong, Beibei Jiang, Shichao Liu, Chuanqiang Li, Zhengrong Zhang. Effects of V Addition on Microstructural Evolution and Mechanical Properties of AlCrFe₂Ni₂ High-Entropy Alloys[J]. Acta Metallurgica Sinica (English Letters), 2023, 36(3): 391-404.

Figures/Tables 15

Fig. 1 XRD patterns of the as-cast AlCrFe2Ni2Vx alloys

Table 1 Properties of the experimental elements [37]

Elements	Atomic radius (pm)	VEC	Pauling electronegativity
Al	143	3	1.61
Cr	128	6	1.66
Fe	126	8	1.83
Ni	124	10	1.91
V	134	5	1.63

Table 2 Lattice parameters of the as-cast AlCrFe2Ni2Vx alloys

Alloys	Lattice parameters (Å)
Alloys	BCC	FCC
V0 [23]	2.889	3.554
V0.2	2.873	3.608
V0.4	2.883	-
V0.6	2.888	-
V0.8	2.890	-
V1.0	2.893	-

Table 3 Calculated parameters of ?H, ?R, ?X, and VEC for designed AlCrFe2Ni2Vx alloys

Alloys	∆H	∆R	∆X	VEC
V0	- 11.11	5.281	0.1164	7.5
V0.2	- 11.82	5.295	0.1180	7.42
V0.4	- 12.42	5.302	0.1193	7.34
V0.6	- 12.93	5.303	0.1203	7.27
V0.8	- 13.36	5.299	0.1211	7.21
V1.0	- 13.71	5.290	0.1217	7.14

Table 4 Chemical mixing enthalpies of the atomic pairs among the alloying elements (unit: kJ/mol) [36]

Element	Al	Cr	Fe	Ni	V
Al	-	-	-	-	-
Cr	- 10	-	-	-	-
Fe	- 11	- 1	-	-	-
Ni	- 22	- 7	- 2	-	-
V	- 16	- 2	- 7	- 18	-

Fig. 2 Optical microscope photograph of the as-cast AlCrFe2Ni2Vx alloys: a x = 0.2, low magnification; b x = 0.2, high magnification; c x = 0.4; d x = 0.6; e x = 0.8; f x = 1.0

Fig. 3 SEM images of the as-cast AlCrFe2Ni2Vx alloys: a x = 0.2, low magnification; b x = 0.2, high magnification; c x = 0.4; d x = 0.6, e x = 0.8; f x = 1.0

Fig. 4 TEM images of the as-cast V0.2 alloy: a bright-field TEM image of V0.2 alloy; b and c the selected area electron diffraction patterns (SAED) of the V0.2 alloy; d dark field image along the (010) crystal plane; e-j the elements distribution of the V0.2 alloy by TEM-EDS

Fig. 5 TEM image of the as-cast V1.0 alloy: a bright-field TEM image of V1.0 alloy; b electron diffraction pattern of the [001] zone axis in (a) full area; c dark field image along the (010) crystal plane; d-i elements distribution of the V1.0 alloy by TEM-EDS

Table 5 Chemical composition of different phases in as-cast V0.2 and V1.0 alloys by TEM-EDS (at.%)

Alloy	Phase	Elements (at.%)
Alloy	Phase	Al	Cr	Fe	Ni	V
V0.2	FCC phases	6.85	18.59	43.93	26.69	3.94
	BCC phases	2.81	33.88	47.86	9.24	6.2
	B2 phases	35.21	2.73	13.97	46.98	1.1
V1.0	BCC phases	2.35	26.21	37.48	10.79	23.17
V1.0	B2 phases	24.34	3.95	16.97	44.15	10.58

Fig. 6 Interface between FCC and B2 phases at atomic scale: a HR-TEM image of FCC and B2 phases; b FFT image of B2 phase; c FFT image of the marked region in a; d and e IFFT images of the marked region in a

Fig. 7 Interface between BCC and B2 phases at atomic scale: a HR-TEM image of BCC and B2 phases; b and c FFT images of B2 and BCC phases, respectively; d and e IFFT images of the marked region in a

Fig. 8 a Compressive engineering stress-strain curves of the as-cast AlCrFe2Ni2Vx alloys; b Vickers hardness curves of the as-cast AlCrFe2Ni2Vx alloys

Table 6 Compression yield strength σs, fracture strength σb, and fracture strain ?, and Vickers hardness of AlCrFe2Ni2Vx alloys

Alloys	σ_s (MPa)	σ_b (MPa)	ɛ (%)	HV
V0[26]	765	-	-	310
V0.2	1231.1	2861.9	44.5	417.7 ± 10
V0.4	1575.5	2808.7	33.9	531.4 ± 5
V0.6	1734.6	2709.3	29.5	565.3 ± 3.6
V0.8	1744.5	2602.3	28.6	571.5 ± 2.4
V1.0	1717.7	2725.1	28.6	590.8 ± 7.6

Fig. 9 SEM images of fracture surface of the as-cast AlCrFe2Ni2Vx alloys: a x = 0.2; b x = 0.4; c x = 0.6; d x = 0.8; e x = 1.0, respectively

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Effects of V Addition on Microstructural Evolution and Mechanical Properties of AlCrFe₂Ni₂ High-Entropy Alloys

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