A dual-phase alloy with ultrahigh strength-ductility synergy over a wide temperature range

High-entropy alloys (HEAs), as an emerging class of materials, have pointed a pathway in developing alloys with interesting property combinations. Although they are not exempted from the strength-ductility trade-off, they present a standing chance in overcoming this challenge. Here, we report results for a precipitation-strengthening strategy, by tuning composition to design a CoNiV-based face-centered cubic/B2 duplex HEA. This alloy sustains ultrahigh gigapascal-level tensile yield strengths and excellent ductility from cryogenic to elevated temperatures. The highest specific yield strength (~150.2 MPa·cm³/g) among reported ductile HEAs is obtained. The ability of the alloy presented here to sustain this excellent strength-ductility synergy over a wide temperature range is aided by multiple deformation mechanisms i.e., twins, stacking faults, dynamic strain aging, and dynamic recrystallization. Our results open the avenue for designing precipitation-strengthened lightweight HEAs with advanced strength-ductility combinations over a wide service temperature range.