Micromechanical characterization of casting-induced inhomogeneity in an Al0.8CoCrCuFeNi high-entropy alloy

The microstructural features and micromechanical behavior of individual phases in a cast Al0.8CoCrCuFeNi high-entropy alloy (HEA) were characterized by high-resolution scanning electron microscopy and micro-compression tests. Use of neutron diffraction enabled the detection of a new phase which was otherwise unobservable by conventional X-ray diffraction. The identified phase constitution agreed well with the compositional analysis and the micro-compression results. The delicate microscale characterization of individual phase provides new insights for the design of novel HEAs with desirable mechanical properties. (C) 2011 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.