Overcoming the Strength-Plasticity Trade-Off in a Multi-phase Equiatomic CrCuNiTiV 3d Transition Metal High-Entropy Alloy

The phase components, microstructures, and mechanical properties of a multi-phase equiatomic 3d transition metal high entropy alloy, CrCuNiTiV, were investigated. In the as-cast condition, the alloy was mainly composed of a body-centered cubic (BCC) dendritic phase and a face-centered cubic (FCC) interdendritic phase, with the BCC dendrite uniformly distributed in the FCC matrix. Through annealing, three phases decomposed from the FCC parent phase, and small particles and stripes were derived from the elongated stripes of the as-cast alloy. Outstanding plasticity was acquired with only a small sacrifice in the yield strength after annealing. Specifically, the plasticity increased from 12.7 pct in the as-cast condition to 23.4 pct in the annealed condition while high yield strengths of 965 and 877 MPa were retained in the as-cast and annealed alloys, respectively. Overcoming the strength-plasticity trade-off in the annealed CrCuNiTiV alloy was mainly achieved via the large volume fraction of FCC interdendritic phases, together with the precipitation of one BCC phase and two FCC phases.