Tuning element distribution, structure and properties by composition in high-entropy alloys

Qingqing Ding, Yin Zhang, Xiao Chen, Xiaoqian Fu, Dengke Chen, Sijing Chen, Lin Gu, Fei Wei, Hongbin Bei, Yanfei Gao, Minru Wen, Jixue Li, Ze Zhang, Ting Zhu (), Robert O. Ritchie () and Qian Yu ()
Additional contact information
Qingqing Ding: Zhejiang University
Yin Zhang: Georgia Institute of Technology
Xiao Chen: Tsinghua University
Xiaoqian Fu: Zhejiang University
Dengke Chen: Georgia Institute of Technology
Sijing Chen: Zhejiang University
Lin Gu: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Fei Wei: Tsinghua University
Hongbin Bei: Zhejiang University
Yanfei Gao: University of Tennessee
Minru Wen: Georgia Institute of Technology
Jixue Li: Zhejiang University
Ze Zhang: Zhejiang University
Ting Zhu: Georgia Institute of Technology
Robert O. Ritchie: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Qian Yu: Zhejiang University

Nature, 2019, vol. 574, issue 7777, 223-227

Abstract: Abstract High-entropy alloys are a class of materials that contain five or more elements in near-equiatomic proportions1,2. Their unconventional compositions and chemical structures hold promise for achieving unprecedented combinations of mechanical properties3–8. Rational design of such alloys hinges on an understanding of the composition–structure–property relationships in a near-infinite compositional space9,10. Here we use atomic-resolution chemical mapping to reveal the element distribution of the widely studied face-centred cubic CrMnFeCoNi Cantor alloy2 and of a new face-centred cubic alloy, CrFeCoNiPd. In the Cantor alloy, the distribution of the five constituent elements is relatively random and uniform. By contrast, in the CrFeCoNiPd alloy, in which the palladium atoms have a markedly different atomic size and electronegativity from the other elements, the homogeneity decreases considerably; all five elements tend to show greater aggregation, with a wavelength of incipient concentration waves11,12 as small as 1 to 3 nanometres. The resulting nanoscale alternating tensile and compressive strain fields lead to considerable resistance to dislocation glide. In situ transmission electron microscopy during straining experiments reveals massive dislocation cross-slip from the early stage of plastic deformation, resulting in strong dislocation interactions between multiple slip systems. These deformation mechanisms in the CrFeCoNiPd alloy, which differ markedly from those in the Cantor alloy and other face-centred cubic high-entropy alloys, are promoted by pronounced fluctuations in composition and an increase in stacking-fault energy, leading to higher yield strength without compromising strain hardening and tensile ductility. Mapping atomic-scale element distributions opens opportunities for understanding chemical structures and thus providing a basis for tuning composition and atomic configurations to obtain outstanding mechanical properties.

Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1617-1

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