Optimizing mechanical properties of FeCoNiSiB high entropy alloy by inducing hypoeutectic to quasi-duplex microstructural transition.

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) have inspired considerable interest due to their attractive physical and mechanical properties. In this work, the microstructural evolution induced by different heat treatments on rapidly solidified hypoeutectic precursors of a FeCoNiSiB HEA is investigated and correlated with the corresponding mechanical properties. The microstructures of the rapidly solidified precursors are composed of primary fcc solid solution dendrites embedded in a eutectic matrix.

Local melting to design strong and plastically deformable bulk metallic glass composites.

Recently, CuZr-based bulk metallic glass (BMG) composites reinforced by the TRIP (transformation-induced plasticity) effect have been explored in attempt to accomplish an optimal of trade-off between strength and ductility. However, the design of such BMG composites with advanced mechanical properties still remains a big challenge for materials engineering. In this work, we proposed a technique of instantaneously and locally arc-melting BMG plate to artificially induce the precipitation of B2 crystals in the glassy matrix and then to tune mechanical properties.

Correlation between structural heterogeneity and plastic deformation for phase separating FeCu metallic glasses.

Unlike crystalline metals, the plastic deformation of metallic glasses (MGs) involves a competition between disordering and structural relaxation ordering, which is not well understood, yet. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to investigate the evolutions of strain localizations, short-range order (SRO) as well as the free volume in the glass during compressive deformation of FeCu MGs with different degrees of phase separation. Our findings indicate that the free volume in the phase separating MGs decreases while the shear strain localizations increase with increasing degree of phase separation.