High-entropy alloys can withstand extreme heat and stress, making them suitable for a variety of specific applications. A new study at the X-ray synchrotron radiation source BESSY II has now provided deeper insights into the ordering processes and diffusion phenomena in these materials. The study involved teams from HZB, the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, the University of Latvia and the University of Münster.
The team analysed samples of a so-called Cantor alloy, which consists of five 3d elements: chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt and nickel. The samples of crystalline structures (face-centred cubic, fcc) were annealed at two different temperatures and then shock frozen.
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Image: The analysis of the EXAFS data showed different local environments around the elements of the Cantor alloy depending on the annealing temperature, which indicate different ordering and diffusion processes. Manganese diffuses fastest in the high-temperature state, nickel in the low-temperature state.
Credit: HZB