Sluggish dendrite growth in an undercooled high entropy alloy.

The CoNi, CoFeNi and CoCr x FeNi (x = 0.2, 0.6, 1) alloys were undercooled and in-situ observed. Sluggish dendrite growth was found for the CoCrFeNi alloy, e.g., the maximum dendrite growth velocity decreases by nearly two orders from the CoNi (78 m s−1) to the CoCrFeNi (0.83 m s−1) alloy. It was shown that it is the Cr element and its adding amount but not the number of components that plays a more decisive role in sluggish dendrite growth. The current work might be helpful for understanding rapid solidification, thereby further controlling the microstructures and modulating the mechanical properties of high entropy alloys. Image 1 • A metastable BCC phase was identified in the undercooled CoCrFeNi alloy. • Sluggish dendrite growth was found with the increase of the number of components for the equiatomic alloy melt. • It is not the components number but the properties and its adding amount that play important roles in sluggish growth. • The sluggish dendrite growth could be ascribed to the interaction between the interface and component atoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]