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Influence of heat treatment on microstructure, mechanical behavior, and soft magnetic properties in an fcc-based Fe29Co28Ni29Cu7Ti7 high-entropy alloy

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Abstract

The influence of heat treatment (homogenization) on the microstructure, mechanical behavior, and soft magnetic properties of a face-centered cubic (fcc)-based high-entropy alloy (HEA), Fe29Co28Ni29Cu7Ti7, fabricated by casting, was investigated in detail. The as-cast Fe29Co28Ni29Cu7Ti7 HEA was composed of a primary fcc phase containing coherent dispersed L12 nanoprecipitates and trace amounts of a needle-like phase. The tensile yield strength (σ0.2), ultimate strength, and total elongation of the as-cast alloy are 917 MPa, 1060 MPa, and 1.8%, respectively. Following homogenization, the alloy having a single fcc phase shows a decrease of ∼ 55% in yield strength and a decrease of ∼ 36% in ultimate strength; however, the total elongation is increased from 1.8 to 52%. Saturation magnetization (Msat) is decreased from 111.54 to 110.34 Am2/kg, by contrast, coercivity (Hc) is increased from 266.65 to 966.89 A/m. The dissolution of precipitates and grain growth are mainly responsible for the changes in magnetic properties and mechanical behavior.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors acknowledge the financial support from the Opening Project of Guangdong Key Laboratory for Advanced Metallic Materials processing, South China University of Technology (GJ201601) and from the US Army Research Office (W911NF-16-1-0269), and Alexander von Humboldt Research Award for Senior Researchers. We would also like to thank Robert E. Delaney for his assistance with magnetic data analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, 92697, USA

    Zhiqiang Fu, Benjamin E. MacDonald, Baolong Zheng & Enrique J. Lavernia

  2. Nanoscale Sciences, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87185, USA

    Todd C. Monson

  3. Guangdong Key Laboratory for Advanced Metallic Materials Processing, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510640, China

    Weiping Chen

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  1. Zhiqiang Fu
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  2. Benjamin E. MacDonald
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  3. Todd C. Monson
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  4. Baolong Zheng
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  6. Enrique J. Lavernia
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Correspondence to Enrique J. Lavernia.

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This author was an editor of this journal during the review and decision stage. For the JMR policy on review and publication of manuscripts authored by editors, please refer to http://www.mrs.org/editor-manuscripts/.

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Fu, Z., MacDonald, B.E., Monson, T.C. et al. Influence of heat treatment on microstructure, mechanical behavior, and soft magnetic properties in an fcc-based Fe29Co28Ni29Cu7Ti7 high-entropy alloy. Journal of Materials Research 33, 2214–2222 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2018.161

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