High entropy or compositionally complex alloys provide opportunities for optimization towards new high-temperature materials. Improvements in the equiatomic alloy Al17Co17Cr17Cu17Fe17Ni17 (at.%) led to the base alloy for this work with the chemical composition Al10Co25Cr8Fe15Ni36Ti6 (at.%). Characterization of the beneficial particle-strengthened microstructure by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and observation of good mechanical properties at elevated temperatures arose the need of accomplishing further optimization steps. For this purpose, the refractory metals hafnium and molybdenum were added in small amounts (0.5 and 1.0 at.% respectively) because of their well-known positive effects on mechanical properties of Ni-based superalloys. By correlation of microstructural examinations using SEM with tensile tests in the temperature range of room temperature up to 900 °C, conclusions could be drawn for further optimization steps.
Various alloy compositions were cast as single crystals in a Bridgman vacuum induction furnace and creep tested at 980 °C: pure Ni, the equiatomic alloys CoCrNi and CrMnFeCoNi (Cantor alloy), single-phase fcc (Ni) solid solution alloys (with the composition of the matrix-phase of CMSX-3 and CMSX4), and two-phase Ni-based superalloys CMSX-3 and CMSX-4. Due to the single-crystal state, grain size effects, grain boundary sliding, and grain boundary diffusion can be excluded. The results identify two major strengthening mechanisms: solid solution strengthening and other mechanisms summarized as precipitation hardening. Configurational entropy does not increase creep strength: The Cantor alloy, with the highest configurational entropy of all alloys tested, shows a weak and similar creep strength at 980 °C in comparison to pure Ni with zero configurational entropy. The element Re is a very effective strengthener, both in single-phase fcc (Ni) solid solution alloys as well as in two-phase superalloys. Quantitative estimations of different strengthening mechanisms: internal back stress, misfit stresses, Orowan bowing, and γ’-phase cutting (in the case of two-phase superalloys) are presented. Finite element simulations allow estimating the influence of solid solution strengthening of the matrix on the creep behavior of the two-phase superalloys.
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