Microstructure and Tribological Behaviour of CrCuFeNiTi High Entropy Alloys

Abstract

The microstructure, hardness and wear performance of CrCuFeTiNi high entropy alloy were evaluated. The alloy was produced by mixing constituent elements, consolidated and melted using vacuum arc furnace. The X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that the alloy is composed of FCC and BCC simple phases. The microstructure contains three regions that were rich in Cu, Cr and Fe which resulted from segregation of constituent elements. The Vickers micro hardness of the alloy was determined as HV0.5 = 510 ± 7 MPa. The wear performance of the alloy was also studied using WC balls under two load conditions. The volume loss was evaluated, accompanied by analysis of the wear tracks and debris using SEM images and EDS. The main wear mechanisms were ploughing, adhesion and oxidation-dominated wear.