We investigated recrystallization behavior of a cold-rolled CoCrCuFeNi high-entropy alloy (HEA). Two different face-centered cubic phases having different chemical compositions and lattice constants existed in the as-cast specimen have different chemical compositions: one phase was the Cu-lean matrix and the other was the Cu-rich second phase. The second phase remained even after a heat treatment at 1100°C and Cu enriched more in the Cu-rich second phase. The calculated mixing enthalpies of both Cu-lean and Cu-rich phases in the as-cast and heat-treated specimens explained that Cu partitioning during the heat treatment decreased the mixing enthalpy in both phases. In the specimens 90% cold-rolled and 40 annealed at 650°C, 700°C and 800 °C, recrystallization proceeded with increasing the 41 annealing temperature, and ultrafine recrystallized grains with grain sizes around 1 µm could 42 be obtained. The microhardness tended to decrease with increasing the fraction 43 recrystallized, but it was found that the microhardness values of partially recrystallized specimens were much higher than those expected by a simple rule of mixture between the initial and cold-rolled and specimens. The reason for the higher hardness was discussed based on the ultrafine grain size, sluggish diffusion expected in HEAs, and two phase structure in the CoCrCuFeNi alloy.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.