Homogenization Heat Treatment of CoCrCuMnNi High-Entropy Alloys: Limitations and Challenges

Homogenizing heat treatment is a common method utilized to eliminate inhomogeneous microstructure in cast alloys. For high-entropy alloys (HEAs), while research on this topic is valuable, there is a paucity of studies on material processes compared to studies on the strengthening mechanism. The present study employs a high-entropy alloy as a case study to homogenize its microstructure via heat treatment. Nevertheless, the findings revealed the considerable difficulty in achieving this goal. Alloy samples are homogenized in a variety of heat treatment conditions, yet the microstructure remains inhomogeneous. These findings indicate that not all high-entropy alloys can be homogenized through heat treatment. This study serves as a valuable reference for researchers engaged in the field of HEA. Further research will be necessary to propose suitable homogenization methods for the microstructure of these HEAs.