Microstructural Changes and Mechanical Properties of Precipitation-Strengthened Medium-Entropy Fe71.25(CoCrMnNi)23.75Cu3Al2 Maraging Alloy

Abstract

Metal alloys with enhanced mechanical properties are in considerable demand in various industries. Thus, this study focused on the development of nanosized precipitates in Fe71.25(CoCrMnNi)23.75Cu3Al2 maraging medium-entropy alloy (MEA). The Fe-based alloying design in the MEA samples initially formed a body-centered cubic (BCC) lath martensite structure. After a subsequent annealing process at 450 °C for varying durations (1, 3, 5, and 7 h), nanosized precipitates (B2 intermetallic) enriched with Cu and with a diameter of approximately 5 nm formed, significantly increasing the hardness of the alloy. The highest Vickers microhardness of 597 HV, along with compressive yield strength and ultimate compressive strength of 2079 MPa and 2843 MPa, respectively, was achieved for the Aged_7h sample. Therefore, the BCC lath martensite structure with B2 intermetallics leads to remarkable mechanical properties.