Effects of (W, Cr) carbide on grain refinement and mechanical properties for CoCrFeMnNi high entropy alloys

In this study, we investigated the influence of (W, Cr) carbide on the hardness and tensile properties of friction stir welds (FSWs) for CoCrFeMnNi high entropy alloys. FSW without cracks or voids were achieved for rotational speeds of 400-1000 rpm. As the rotational speed increased, the thinning of the weld thickness compared to the thickness of the base metal was increased. Specifically, an abnormal tornado-shaped region was observed in the stir zone at rotation speeds of 600 rpm and above. The tensile strength increased as the rotation speed increased from 400 to 800 rpm and decreased at a rotation speed of 1000 rpm. The abnormal region with a fine (W, Cr) carbide of 0.5 mm or less was dispersed in the grain boundaries. At a rotation speed of 800 rpm, the dispersion of fine (W, Cr) carbide was optimized to produce grain refinement and maximum tensile strength. However, at 1000 rpm, (W, Cr) carbide coarsened due to high heat input, and the number of carbide particles per unit area decreased, thereby decreasing the hardness and tensile strength. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.