Investigating Phase Formations in Cast AlFeCoNiCu High Entropy Alloys by Combination of Computational Modeling and Experiments

Abstract

Selection and thermal stability of phases are important in design of high entropy alloys (HEA). In this study, phase formations in cast AlFeCoNiCu HEA were investigated. Ab-initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations were used to determine crystal structures of phases at different temperatures in equiatomic composition of AlFeCoNiCu. The AIMD results showed a possible coexistence of a face-centered cubic (fcc) phase and a body-centered cubic (bcc) phase at the room temperature and indicated stabilization of a single fcc phase above 1070 K at the equiatomic composition of AlFeCoNiCu. The phase diagrams of AlFeCoNiCu system were calculated using a modified thermodynamic approach based on CALPHAD and Muggianu's methods. The calculated phase diagrams showed formation of the same two phases at the room temperature, and a phase transformation at about 1010 K to form a single fcc phase. The characterization experiments utilizing scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) confirmed the crystal structures and composition of phases determined by AIMD simulations and phase diagram calculations. High temperature XRD (HTXRD) analysis showed a significant increase in weight fraction of the fcc phase at high temperatures confirming the predicted phase transformation.

Department(s)

Materials Science and Engineering

Keywords and Phrases

Backscattering; Calculations; Crystal structure; Electron diffraction; Entropy; Molecular dynamics; Phase diagrams; Scanning electron microscopy; Temperature; Thermodynamic stability; X ray diffraction, Ab initio molecular dynamics simulation; AlFeCoNiCu; Body-centered-cubic phase; Calculated phase diagrams; Electron back scatter diffraction; High entropy alloys; Phase diagram calculations, Phase transitions

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

0264-1275

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2017 Elsevier Ltd, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Aug 2017

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