Wear characteristics of laser-deposited AlCoCrCuFeNi high entropy alloy with finite element analysis

Abstract

Abstract Background Wear is a destructive phenomenon and one of the principal causes of material failure in moving components during surface interaction while in service. AlCoCrCuFeNi high-entropy alloy with its many properties is a potential material for aero-engine applications attributed to its outstanding relatively lightweight, high strength, good thermal, oxidation, and corrosion resistance properties. Hence, the investigation into the tribological behaviour of AlCoCrCuFeNi high-entropy alloys is essential to reduce maintenance costs and prolong the service life of this advanced material for aerospace applications. Most AlCoCrCuFeNi high-entropy alloy compositions were fabricated via arc melting, which has been reported to have defects attributed to slow solidification, consequently reducing the mechanical properties of the alloy with limited reports on other fabrication methods. Therefore, there is a need for the use of advanced manufacturing techniques for fabricating these alloys to improve the tribological properties. In this study, AlCoCrCuFeNi high-entropy alloy was fabricated via laser metal deposition. The influence of the laser processing parameters, rapid solidification, and the applied load on the tribological properties of the as-built alloys under dry conditions has been studied for aerospace applications. The counter ball rolling friction analysis was also investigated using COMSOL Multiphysics. Results The results showed that at a high laser power of 1600 W and a scan speed of 12 mm/s, the lowest wear rates and highest hardness values were observed. The average coefficient of friction at room temperature was 0.1 and 0.3 at a speed of 21 m/s. The dominant wear mechanism at room temperature was abrasive wear as the wear rate increased linearly with an increase in load from 10 to 20 N. The scan speed had the most significant influence on the wear behaviour of the as-built high-entropy alloy attributed to the rapid rate of solidification which occurs at higher scan speeds. Conclusions The study examines the wear characteristics of high-entropy alloys fabricated via laser deposition technique in comparison with those fabricated via conventional routes. Although there were similarities in the phase structures of both techniques, the results showed that the wear resistance of the laser-deposited high-entropy alloy was comparatively higher than the same alloy prepared via conventional methods. Laser additive manufacturing was concluded to be a more successful method in fabricating high-entropy alloys.