Microstructural and mechanical characterisation of non-equiatomic Al2.1Co0.3Cr0.5FeNi2.1 high-entropy alloy fabricated via wire-arc additive manufacturing

ABSTRACT Gas metal arc welding based on wire arc additive manufacturing was adopted to fabricate a non-equiatomic Al2.1Co0.3Cr0.5FeNi2.1 thick-walled component. The combined cable wire composed of three filaments with different elemental compositions was used as the feeding material. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the as-deposited component were investigated. The deposited sample consisted of dendrite grains ranging in size from 5 to 15 µm and interdendritic regions. The compressive yield strength and ultimate compressive strength of the obtained material are 550 and 1899 MPa. The microhardness test revealed an average value of 463 HV. The nanohardness and the elastic modulus of the sample are 10.4 and 304 GPa, respectively. Energy-dispersive spectroscopy showed that the elemental distribution in the top, middle, and bottom areas of the sample is uniform. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed two main phases of Al-Ni-Co-rich B2 and Fe-Cr-rich A2 in the material.