Microstructural Stability of the CoCrFe2Ni2 High Entropy Alloys with Additions of Cu and Mo

New High Entropy Alloys based on the CoCrFe2Ni2 system have been developed by adding up to 10 at. % of Cu, Mo, and Cu + Mo in different amounts. These alloys showed a single face-centred cubic (FCC) structure after homogenization at 1200 °C. In order to evaluate their thermal stability, aging heat treatments at 500, 700, and 900 °C for 8 h were applied to study the possible precipitation phenomena. In the alloys where only Cu or Mo was added, we found the precipitation of an FCC Cu-rich phase or the µ phase rich in Mo, respectively, in agreement with some of the results previously shown in the literature. Nevertheless, we have observed that when both elements are present, Cu precipitation does not occur, and the formation of the Mo-rich phase is inhibited (or delayed). This is a surprising result as Cu and Mo have a positive enthalpy of mixing, being immiscible in a binary system, while added together they improve the stability of this system and maintain a single FCC crystal structure from medium to high temperatures

High-Temperature Nanoindentation of an Advanced Nano-Crystalline W/Cu Composite

The applicability of nano-crystalline W/Cu composites is governed by their mechanical properties and microstructural stability at high temperatures. Therefore, mechanical and structural investigations of a high-pressure torsion deformed W/Cu nanocomposite were performed up to a temperature of 600 °C. Furthermore, the material was annealed at several temperatures for 1 h within a high-vacuum furnace to determine microstructural changes and surface effects. No significant increase of grain size, but distinct evaporation of the Cu phase accompanied by Cu pool and faceted Cu particle formation could be identified on the specimen′s surface. Additionally, high-temperature nanoindentation and strain rate jump tests were performed to investigate the materials mechanical response at elevated temperatures. Hardness and Young′s modulus decrease were noteworthy due to temperature-induced effects and slight grain growth. The strain rate sensitivity in dependent of the temperature remained constant for the investigated W/Cu composite material. Also, the activation volume of the nano-crystalline composite increased with temperature and behaved similar to coarse-grained W. The current study extends the understanding of the high-temperature behavior of nano-crystalline W/Cu composites within vacuum environments such as future fusion reactors.