Enhanced dynamic mechanical properties of Cr26Mn20Fe20Co20Ni14 high entropy alloy through Cr-rich precipitates

YX Liang and J Ling and W Guo and Y Shu and XQ Zhang and M Tang and S Wu and XZ Zhong and J Tu and L Jing, JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS, 1042, 183990 (2025).

DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2025.183990

The CrMnFeCoNi (Cantor alloy) system high entropy alloys (HEAs) typically exhibit exceptional mechanical properties, showing great potential for industry applications. However, these alloys also suffer from limitations such as relatively low yield strength. In this study, we performed heat treatment on Cr26Mn20Fe20Co20Ni14 alloy, which resulted in the formation of high-density sigma precipitates and substantial grain refinement. The mechanical properties were remarkably improved under both quasi-static and dynamic loading conditions. At a strain rate of 0.01 s-1 , the yield strength reached 494 MPa. Under dynamic loading at strain rates of 750 s-1 , 1700 s-1 , and 2600 s-1 , the corresponding yield strengths were 669 MPa, 835 MPa, and 906 MPa, respectively, with a strain rate sensitivity coefficient of 0.248, indicating excellent mechanical performance at high strain rates. The microstructural characterization and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations demonstrated that the exceptional dynamic mechanical properties of the Cr26Mn20Fe20Co20Ni14 alloy are governed by the synergistic effects of multiple strengthening mechanisms-including dislocation strengthening, precipitation strengthening, twin boundary (TB) strengthening, and transformation strengthening-during shock deformation, coupled with its high strain rate sensitivity coefficient. This study demonstrated that Cantor alloys could achieve excellent mechanical properties merely through compositional tuning combined with heat treatment. This integrated approach to composition modification and thermal treatment enables Cantor alloys to achieve a wider range of tunable properties and thus to increase their applicability.

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