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Structural Phase Variations in High-Entropy Alloy upon Pulsed Electron Beam Irradiation

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Abstract

In this paper, we obtain a high-entropy alloy (HEA) of the Al–Co–Cr–Fe–Ni system with a nonequiatomic composition using the technology of wire-arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) in a pure nitrogen atmosphere. Using the methods of modern physical materials science, we showed that the alloy in the initial state has a dendritic structure, which indicates a non-uniform distribution of alloying elements. The alloy is a multiphase material, and the main phases are Al3Ni, Cr3C2, and (Ni,Co)3Al4. Cubic nanosized (Ni,Co)3Al4 particles are located along the interfaces of submicron Al3Ni and Cr3C2 phases. Irradiation of the HEA with pulsed electron beams with an energy density of Es = 10–30 J/cm2, a pulse duration of 50 μs, a frequency of 3 Hz, and a pulse number of 3 leads to high-speed melting and subsequent crystallization of the surface layer. At Es = 10 J/cm2, no destruction of the dendritic crystallization structure occurs. The interdendritic spaces are enriched with aluminum, nickel, and iron while the dendrites themselves are enriched with chromium atoms. The most liquating element is aluminum, and the least liquating element is cobalt. At Es = 20 J/cm2, a nanocrystalline structure is formed in the grain volume in a layer with a thickness of 15 μm. The size of the crystallization cells is 100–200 nm, the size of inclusions are 20–25 nm at the junctions of cells and 10–15 nm along the boundaries of cells. High-speed crystallization cells are enriched with aluminum and nickel. Cobalt atoms are evenly distributed over the volume of the surface layer. The most liquating element is chromium, and the least liquating element is cobalt. An increase in the energy density of the electron beam to 30 J/cm2 does not lead to significant (compared to 20 J/cm2) changes in the structure of the surface layer. The irradiation mode (Es = 20 J/cm2, 50 μs, 3 pulses, 0.3 Hz), which allows to form a surface layer with the highest homogeneity of the chemical element distribution in the alloy, is revealed.

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Funding

This work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation, grant no. 20-19-00452.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of High Current Electronics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 634055, Tomsk, Russia

    Yu. F. Ivanov

  2. Siberian State Industrial University, 654007, Novokuznetsk, Kemerovo oblast—Kuzbass, Russia

    V. E. Gromov, Yu. A. Shlyarova & S. V. Vorob’ev

  3. Samara National Research University, 443086, Samara, Russia

    S. V. Konovalov

Authors
  1. Yu. F. Ivanov
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  2. V. E. Gromov
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  3. S. V. Konovalov
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  4. Yu. A. Shlyarova
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  5. S. V. Vorob’ev
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Correspondence to Yu. F. Ivanov.

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Translated by A. Ivanov

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Ivanov, Y.F., Gromov, V.E., Konovalov, S.V. et al. Structural Phase Variations in High-Entropy Alloy upon Pulsed Electron Beam Irradiation. Steel Transl. 51, 788–794 (2021). https://doi.org/10.3103/S096709122111005X

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