Effect of Homogenization on Microstructure and Hardness of Arc-Melted FeCoNiMn High Entropy Alloy During High-Pressure Torsion (HPT)

The effect of homogenization on microstructure and hardness of FeCoNiMn high entropy alloy was investigated during the high-pressure torsion. Transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Vickers microhardness were used to evaluate the microstructure and mechanical properties. The as-cast alloy showed a subgrain structure in the central region, while the homogenized alloy revealed the nano-sized grains. In the half-radius, both samples revealed an ultra-fine grained structure. After 10 revolutions, the grain size in the half-radius of the as-cast and homogenized discs reached similar to 58 and similar to 44 nm, respectively. The hardness of the homogenized sample was similar to 440 and similar to 435 Hv, and that of the as-cast one was similar to 390 and similar to 400 Hv in the center and half-radius. The homogenization could affect the microstructure and hardness of the FeCoNiMn HEA during HPT.

Automated summary

The effect of homogenization on the microstructure and hardness of FeCoNiMn high entropy alloy during high-pressure torsion was investigated. The results showed that homogenization could lead to a reduction in grain size and an increase in hardness.