Precipitation behavior of selective laser melted FeCoCrNiC0.05 high entropy alloy

Interstitial elements are effective to strengthen high entropy alloys (HEAs). In this work, FeCoCrNiC0.05 was prepared by selective laser melting (SLM) followed by annealing. The effects of annealing on the microstructures and mechanical properties of the SLMed FeCoCrNiC0.05 were investigated. Results show that, nano-scale Cr23C6-type carbides can precipitate under annealing conditions, leading to higher yielding strength. The SLMed FeCoCrNiC0.05 annealed at 1073 K for 0.5 h has a yielding strength of 787 MPa and an elongation of 10.3%. Precipitation kinetics in SLMed FeCoCrNiC0.05 has been established according to Avrami formula. The high strength can be attributed to solid solution hardening, precipitation hardening and cell-like structures.