Growth Behavior of Multi-Element Compound Layers During Reactive Diffusion Between Solid CoCrFeMnNi Alloy and Liquid...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Metallurgy
• Solid-State Physics

Background:

• High-entropy alloys (HEAs) offer unique properties.
• Understanding alloy interactions is crucial for applications.
• Aluminum alloys are widely used in casting.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate the microstructure and interdiffusion in a CoCrFeMnNi HEA/Al solid-liquid diffusion couple.
• Determine the interfacial compounds and their formation mechanisms.
• Reveal the diffusion mechanisms and activation energies for layer growth.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of a solid CoCrFeMnNi HEA and liquid pure Al diffusion couple.
• Microstructural characterization using advanced techniques.
• Analysis of interdiffusion behavior and phase formation.
• Determination of diffusion mechanisms and activation energies via Arrhenius equation and linear regression.

Main Results:

• Identified interfacial compounds: Al(Co, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni), Al13(Co, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni)4, and Al4(Co, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni).
• Observed precipitated phases Al4(Cr, Mn) and Al9(Co, Fe, Ni) in the Al center.
• Revealed detailed growth mechanisms for each diffusion layer.
• Quantified activation energies for intermetallic layer growth.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a fundamental understanding of CoCrFeMnNi HEA/Al interactions.
• The findings offer a theoretical basis for using CoCrFeMnNi HEA as cast mold material for aluminum alloys.
• Detailed insights into diffusion kinetics and phase evolution are presented.