Gradient Distribution of Microstructures and Mechanical Properties in a FeCoCrNiMo High-Entropy Alloy during Spark Plasma Sintering

Abstract

A novel graded material of a high-entropy alloy (HEA) FeCoCrNiMo was fabricated by spark plasma sintering (SPS) processing. After SPS, the HEA specimens consisted of a single face-centred cubic (FCC) phase in the center, but dual FCC and a tetragonal structure σ phase near the surface. Surprisingly, the sintering pressure was sufficient to influence the proportion of phases, and thus the properties of HEA samples. The hardness of the specimens sintered under the pressures of 30, 35, and 40 MPa increased gradually from 210 HV0.2, which is the single FCC phase in the center, to the maximum value near the surface as a result of the gradual increase in the fraction of the transformed σ phase. The σ phase, being a complex hard and brittle intermetallic particle to manipulate the properties of FCC-type HEA systems, which could be influenced by pressure, indicated a major possibility for designing gradient HEA materials.