Strengthening mechanism and low-temperature hardening behavior of high-entropy alloy/graphene composite

High-entropy alloy/graphene composites (HEA/Gr) have shown significant potential in various applications due to their exceptional mechanical properties, particularly their high strength. However, a comprehensive understanding of their strengthening mechanisms is still lacking, which hinders the desi...

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Main Authors: Shaocong Zhou, Yongchao Liang, Yuanwei Pu, Yu Zhou, Lili Zhou, Qian Chen, Zean Tian, Tinghong Gao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-03-01
Series:Materials & Design
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127525000966
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author Shaocong Zhou
Yongchao Liang
Yuanwei Pu
Yu Zhou
Lili Zhou
Qian Chen
Zean Tian
Tinghong Gao
author_facet Shaocong Zhou
Yongchao Liang
Yuanwei Pu
Yu Zhou
Lili Zhou
Qian Chen
Zean Tian
Tinghong Gao
author_sort Shaocong Zhou
collection DOAJ
description High-entropy alloy/graphene composites (HEA/Gr) have shown significant potential in various applications due to their exceptional mechanical properties, particularly their high strength. However, a comprehensive understanding of their strengthening mechanisms is still lacking, which hinders the design of their structures and optimization of their performance. This study systematically investigates the tensile behavior of the equiatomic CoCrFeMnNi HEA and HEA/Gr composite using molecular dynamics simulations, focusing on the microscopic strengthening mechanisms of the reinforcing phase and the low-temperature hardening behavior of the HEA/Gr composite. The results show that the yield strength and elastic modulus of the composite increased by 57.5 % and 19 %, respectively, compared to the HEA. The graphene interface effectively hinders dislocation propagation and enhances dislocation interactions, playing a crucial role in stress transfer and resulting in distinct stress and strain distributions within the matrix. Moreover, the low-temperature hardening mechanisms of the composite were explored. The study reveals that local BCC atomic clusters formed by FCC-BCC phase transition accelerate dislocation nucleation. The compatibility between the FCC and BCC lattice structures facilitates dislocation slip and promotes the interaction of intrinsic stacking faults (ISFs), leading to local stress concentration and increased dislocation entanglement.
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issn 0264-1275
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publishDate 2025-03-01
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record_format Article
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spelling doaj-art-163bcf42cd2d4449ae5405456f500ce12025-08-20T02:55:16ZengElsevierMaterials & Design0264-12752025-03-0125111367610.1016/j.matdes.2025.113676Strengthening mechanism and low-temperature hardening behavior of high-entropy alloy/graphene compositeShaocong Zhou0Yongchao Liang1Yuanwei Pu2Yu Zhou3Lili Zhou4Qian Chen5Zean Tian6Tinghong Gao7Institute of Advanced Optoelectronic Materials and Technology, College of Big Data and Information Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, ChinaInstitute of Advanced Optoelectronic Materials and Technology, College of Big Data and Information Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China; Corresponding author.Institute of Advanced Optoelectronic Materials and Technology, College of Big Data and Information Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, ChinaInstitute of Advanced Optoelectronic Materials and Technology, College of Big Data and Information Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, ChinaDepartment of Information Engineering, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou 341000, ChinaInstitute of Advanced Optoelectronic Materials and Technology, College of Big Data and Information Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, ChinaInstitute of Advanced Optoelectronic Materials and Technology, College of Big Data and Information Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China; College of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, ChinaInstitute of Advanced Optoelectronic Materials and Technology, College of Big Data and Information Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, ChinaHigh-entropy alloy/graphene composites (HEA/Gr) have shown significant potential in various applications due to their exceptional mechanical properties, particularly their high strength. However, a comprehensive understanding of their strengthening mechanisms is still lacking, which hinders the design of their structures and optimization of their performance. This study systematically investigates the tensile behavior of the equiatomic CoCrFeMnNi HEA and HEA/Gr composite using molecular dynamics simulations, focusing on the microscopic strengthening mechanisms of the reinforcing phase and the low-temperature hardening behavior of the HEA/Gr composite. The results show that the yield strength and elastic modulus of the composite increased by 57.5 % and 19 %, respectively, compared to the HEA. The graphene interface effectively hinders dislocation propagation and enhances dislocation interactions, playing a crucial role in stress transfer and resulting in distinct stress and strain distributions within the matrix. Moreover, the low-temperature hardening mechanisms of the composite were explored. The study reveals that local BCC atomic clusters formed by FCC-BCC phase transition accelerate dislocation nucleation. The compatibility between the FCC and BCC lattice structures facilitates dislocation slip and promotes the interaction of intrinsic stacking faults (ISFs), leading to local stress concentration and increased dislocation entanglement.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127525000966High-entropy alloysGrapheneMechanical propertiesHardening
spellingShingle Shaocong Zhou
Yongchao Liang
Yuanwei Pu
Yu Zhou
Lili Zhou
Qian Chen
Zean Tian
Tinghong Gao
Strengthening mechanism and low-temperature hardening behavior of high-entropy alloy/graphene composite
Materials & Design
High-entropy alloys
Graphene
Mechanical properties
Hardening
title Strengthening mechanism and low-temperature hardening behavior of high-entropy alloy/graphene composite
title_full Strengthening mechanism and low-temperature hardening behavior of high-entropy alloy/graphene composite
title_fullStr Strengthening mechanism and low-temperature hardening behavior of high-entropy alloy/graphene composite
title_full_unstemmed Strengthening mechanism and low-temperature hardening behavior of high-entropy alloy/graphene composite
title_short Strengthening mechanism and low-temperature hardening behavior of high-entropy alloy/graphene composite
title_sort strengthening mechanism and low temperature hardening behavior of high entropy alloy graphene composite
topic High-entropy alloys
Graphene
Mechanical properties
Hardening
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127525000966
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