Design and characterization of three light-weight multi-principal-element alloys potentially candidates as high-entropy alloys

The feasibility of preparing high entropy alloys in the Al-Sc-Ti-V-Cr system has been evaluated taking into account the different criteria reported in the literature. Based on such criteria, three Al-Sc-Ti-V-Cr alloys were chosen with contents of each element varying from 10 to 35 at. %, and prepared by arc melting. All alloys exhibit a two-phase dendritic microstructure, with the major dendritic phase being a bcc solid solution enriched in Ti, V, or Cr. Scandium is strongly rejected from the dendrites towards the interdendritic regions to form Al2Sc in the three alloys. The bcc solid solution dendrites become harder with high Ti content and lower with high Cr content. The toughness of the alloys depends on the hardness of the dendrites, with alloys with harder dendrites becoming more brittle. The results indicate that neither empirical criteria used nor THERMOCALC calculus tool can predict properly the formation of a single solid solution nor the nature of the existing phases respectively.