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Eutectic modification of Fe-enriched high-entropy alloys through minor addition of boron

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Abstract

Eutectic modification through minor addition of boron was firstly proposed to improve the malleability of brittle eutectic high-entropy alloys (EHEAs). The proposed approach involves adding small amounts of eutectic modifier, boron (0.2–1.6 at.%), to a brittle dual-phase [face centred cubic (FCC) and σ phase] Fe35Ni25Cr25Mo15 EHEA. Here, we report the role of boron additions in improvement of the mechanical properties of a Fe35Ni25Cr25Mo15 EHEA. It was found that with the increase in boron additions up to 1 at.%, the lamellar eutectic structure consisting of FCC and σ intermetallic phase gradually transited to a dendrite-like eutectic structure. As a result, the compressive fracture strain of the alloy was increased about 3 times with a slight reduction in strength. The mechanisms of eutectic morphology transition induced by boron additions in the Fe35Ni25Cr25Mo15 EHEA and their effects on mechanical properties were studied through microstructural characterization and thermodynamic analyses. The transition of eutectic morphology from lamellar eutectic to dendrite eutectic is believed to be resulted from the increased constitutional undercooling caused by B additions. The solute redistribution of B in the liquid ahead of the solid/liquid interface resulted in a B concentration gradient, which led to the formation of a constitutionally undercooled zone at the front of the σ phase, which destabilized the coupled growth conditions necessary for the formation of the lamellar eutectic structure. As a result, the eutectic morphology was transformed from lamellar eutectic to a dendritic-like eutectic structure. This type of structure exhibits a lower fraction of phase boundaries leading to improved malleability of the brittle EHEA. This insight can be used to design new advanced EHEAs through adjustment of the eutectic morphology.

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The raw/processed data required to reproduce these findings cannot be shared at this time as the data also forms part of an ongoing study.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are very grateful to ARC Discovery Project for funding support (No. DP180102454) and acknowledge the facilities, and the scientific and technical assistance of the Australian Microscopy & Microanalysis Research Facility at the Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis (CMM). Y. Y. would also like to acknowledge the support of the China Scholarship Council (CSC), the University of Queensland (UQ) and the School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering for CSC and UQI scholarship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia

    Yu Yin, Qiyang Tan, Damon Kent, Ning Mo, Michael Bermingham & Ming-Xing Zhang

  2. School of Mechanical, Materials, Mechatronic and Biomedical Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia

    Tong Wang & Huijun Li

  3. School of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD, 4556, Australia

    Damon Kent

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  1. Yu Yin
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Yin, Y., Tan, Q., Wang, T. et al. Eutectic modification of Fe-enriched high-entropy alloys through minor addition of boron. J Mater Sci 55, 14571–14587 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-020-05025-3

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