Abstract:
WTaCrVTi high entropy alloys have excellent mechanical properties and irradiation resistance, and the individual components have low neutron activity, which can be used in the neutron irradiation environment of nuclear fusion reactors. Thus, they have potential applications in nuclear fusion reactors. However, elemental segregation and enrichment exist in the alloys during the preparation process, resulting in an inhomogeneous microstructure. In order to improve the homogeneity of the microstructures, mechanical alloying combined with spark plasma sintering was adopted to prepare WTaCrVTi
6Y
x high entropy alloys. The effects of Y content on the microstructure and mechanical properties of high-entropy alloys were explored. It is found that the alloys without Y addition include the solid solution, TiO particles, laves phases and Ta-rich phases. The solid solution with BCC structure is the matrix, and the atomic ratios of W, Ta, Cr and V are close to be equal. The TiO particles are uniformly distributed in the matrix with an average particle size of 1.08±0.38 μm. The laves and the Ta-rich phases are sporadically distributed in the matrix. While, the alloys with the addition of 6 at% Y is mainly composed of the solid solution with BCC structure and Y
2O
3 particles. The average size of Y
2O
3 particles is about 1.25 ± 0.85 μm. And the atomic ratios of W, Ta, Cr, and V in the BCC phase tend to be 1. The room-temperature compressive yield strength and hardness of this alloy reach
2674 MPa and 848.6 ± 9.3 HV, respectively.