Characterization of non-metallic inclusions and their influence on the mechanical properties of a FCC single-phase high-entropy alloy

The characteristics of non-metallic inclusions (NMI) that precipitated in an equiatomic CoCrFeMnNi high-entropy alloy (HEA) were investigated in order to understand their effect on the mechanical properties of the HEA. As the existence of NMI could degrade the mechanical properties, improved information concerning NMI could hold key importance in controlling the promising applications of HEA. An equiatomic HEA composed of CoCrFeMnNi was manufactured using vacuum induction melting (VIM) method. A thermodynamic computation program (FactSage™7.0) was used to investigate the solidification process of the HEA at both equilibrium and non-equilibrium states. Furthermore, the computational program also predicted the type of inclusions that would precipitate. Through an electrolytic extraction process and scanning electron microscopy - energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) observations, the actual compositions of the precipitated inclusions were observed and classified as (a) Mn-Cr-Al oxide, (b) Mn(S,Se), and (c) mixed type; a Mn-Cr-Al oxide core with a Mn(S,Se) shell. Mn-Cr-Al oxide, in a brittle spinel-structured phase with high melting temperature, was also observed in dimples on the fracture surface. The relationship between the tensile properties of HEA and the characteristics of NMI were discussed by comparing two CoCrFeMnNi specimens with the same structure and composition. Overall, the present results indicate that the tensile properties of the HEA were significantly degraded as the area fraction (AF) and number density (ND) of NMI increased.