Phase stability and tensile properties of Co-free Al0.5CrCuFeNi2 high-entropy alloys

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) are becoming new research frontiers in the metallic materials field. The phase stability of HEAs is of critical significance, but a convincing understanding on it has been somewhat held back by the slow diffusion kinetics, which prevents the completion of diffusion assisted phase transformations toward the equilibrium state. Here a unique methodology, combining both the thermomechanical treatments and thermodynamic calculations, was employed to reveal the phase stability of HEAs, exemplified using the newly developed Al0.5CrCuFeNi2 alloy. The metastable nature of the solid solution phases in this high-entropy alloy was uncovered through thermomechanical treatments induced phase transformations, and supported by the thermodynamic calculations. Meanwhile, the tensile properties for both the as-cast and thermomechanically treated alloys were measured, and correlated to their indentation behavior.