Spatially varied stacking fault energy induced low twinning ability in high entropy alloys

Abstract

Nanostructured high-entropy alloys (HEAs) are promising candidates for extreme load-bearing applications due to their superior performance. In this work, we investigate the deformation behaviors of CoCrFeMnNi HEA under high-speed impact by molecular dynamics simulations. Compared with Al, Ni, and Cu representing pure metals with low to high stacking fault energies, it is found that the CoCrFeMnNi HEA exhibits remarkably low twinning density under shock, despite its extremely low stacking fault energy. Shear loading is then applied to stacking-faulted HEAs and these pure metals to study the evolution of stacking faults under shear stress. The results further show a low tendency for stacking faults to transform into deformation twinning in HEAs, regardless of the initial density of stacking faults. The energy path for deformation twins and stacking faults was calculated, and a direct comparison of fault energies could not explain the deformation mechanism of HEA. We reveal that the inhomogeneous energy profile of dislocation slip caused by the inherent heterogeneity of HEA leads to dispersed stacking fault propagation, which suppresses twinning formation. These results address the spatially tunable defects and further urgent need for the synergistic design of components and microstructures in HEAs.