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Insights into the deformation behavior of the CrMnFeCoNi high-entropy alloy revealed by elevated temperature nanoindentation

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Abstract

A CrMnFeCoNi high-entropy alloy was investigated by nanoindentation from room temperature to 400 °C in the nanocrystalline state and cast plus homogenized coarse-grained state. In the latter case a 〈100〉-orientated grain was selected by electron back scatter diffraction for nanoindentation. It was found that hardness decreases more strongly with increasing temperature than Young’s modulus, especially for the coarse-grained state. The modulus of the nanocrystalline state was slightly higher than that of the coarse-grained one. For the coarse-grained sample a strong thermally activated deformation behavior was found up to 100–150 °C, followed by a diminishing thermally activated contribution at higher testing temperatures. For the nanocrystalline state, different temperature dependent deformation mechanisms are proposed. At low temperatures, the governing processes appear to be similar to those in the coarse-grained sample, but with increasing temperature, dislocation-grain boundary interactions likely become more dominant. Finally, at 400 °C, decomposition of the nanocrystalline alloy causes a further reduction in thermal activation. This is rationalized by a reduction of the deformation controlling internal length scale by precipitate formation in conjunction with a diffusional contribution.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Funding by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) in the framework of Research Project P26729-N19 is acknowledged (B.S. & A.H.). Further financial support by the Austrian Federal Government (837900) within the framework of the COMET Funding Program (MPPE, A7.19) is highly appreciated (V.M-K.). E.P.G. is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department Physical Metallurgy & Materials Testing, Montanuniversität Leoben, Leoben, A-8700, Austria

    Verena Maier-Kiener & Helmut Clemens

  2. Department Materials Physics, Montanuniversität Leoben & Erich-Schmid Institute of Materials Science, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Leoben, A-8700, Austria

    Benjamin Schuh & Anton Hohenwarter

  3. Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, 37831-6115, USA

    Easo P. George

  4. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, 37996-2100, USA

    Easo P. George

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  1. Verena Maier-Kiener
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  2. Benjamin Schuh
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Correspondence to Verena Maier-Kiener.

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Maier-Kiener, V., Schuh, B., George, E.P. et al. Insights into the deformation behavior of the CrMnFeCoNi high-entropy alloy revealed by elevated temperature nanoindentation. Journal of Materials Research 32, 2658–2667 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2017.260

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