In-situ decomposition of (Cr,Ti,Mo)4AlC3 MAX phase for enhancing wear resistance of CoCrFeNiAl high-entropy alloy through the formation of multiple carbides
摘要
The application of CoCrFeNiAl high-entropy alloy (HEA) in the aerospace and mechanical engineering fields is limited by the low hardness, which leads to poor wear resistance. Although introducing secondary phase hard particles enhances wear resistance under severe working conditions, for example, high load and high speed, challenges including particle segregation and interfacial incompatibility remain critical bottlenecks. Herein, a novel (Cr0.65Mo0.35)2(Ti0.88Mo0.12)2AlC3 MAX phase is utilized as a precursor to in-situ form uniformly dispersed multi-elemental micro–nano carbides within the HEA matrix through one-step hot-pressing sintering. Specifically, two different types of carbides, (Ti,Mo)Cx and Cr7C3/Cr23C6, are generated and interspersed in the matrix based on the M-site composition of the MAX precursor, and thus form strong interfacial bonding to the HEA matrix. Results for composites with different MAX contents indicate that 10 wt% MAX addition displays significantly enhanced compressive yield strength of 1619.4 MPa, representing a 112% improvement over the HEA. Moreover, an ultralow wear rate reaches 0.76 × 10−7 mm3·N−1·m−1, representing an 86% reduction compared to HEA. The excellent performance of the composites demonstrates the critical role of multi-elemental MAX phase ceramics as a precursor to strengthen interface bonding between in-situ MX carbides and the HEA, which enables effective stress transfer, load-bearing, and surface oxide friction films adhesion.