Development of a Multi-phase AlCuTaVW High-Entropy Alloy Using Powder Metallurgy Route and its Mechanical Properties

Equiatomic AlCuTaVW high-entropy alloy (HEA) composition have resulted in a single-phase solid solution with a bcc crystal structure after 25 h of ball milling. Two fcc phases and an ordered B2 phase have evolved during spark plasma sintering at 1523 K. The morphology of sintered disc contains a continuous bright phase and a discontinuous dark phase. The dark phase is detected to be Al-rich. Microhardness of the sintered product is 13 ± 1 GPa, and it is very high compared to other HEAs, conventional ceramics and cermets. A fracture toughness of 8.36 MPa m1/2 is measured from the cracks generated along the edges of Vickers indentation.