Effect of Fe/Ni Ratio on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of AlCr1.6FexNi(3.2−x)Si0.2 High-Entropy Alloys

Ren, Yaojian; Yang, Tailin; Deng, Honglian; Feng, Junjie; Meng, Qingkun; Qi, Jiqiu; Wei, Fuxiang; Sui, Yanwei

doi:10.3390/met16060570

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Effect of Fe/Ni Ratio on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of AlCr_1.6Fe_xNi_(3.2−x)Si_0.2 High-Entropy Alloys

by

Yaojian Ren

^*,

Tailin Yang

,

Honglian Deng

,

Junjie Feng

,

Qingkun Meng

,

Jiqiu Qi

,

Fuxiang Wei

and

Yanwei Sui

^*

Jiangsu Province Engineering Laboratory of High-Efficient Energy Storage Technology and Equipment, School of Materials and Physics, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Metals 2026, 16(6), 570; https://doi.org/10.3390/met16060570

Submission received: 17 April 2026 / Revised: 18 May 2026 / Accepted: 18 May 2026 / Published: 22 May 2026

(This article belongs to the Section Entropic Alloys and Meta-Metals)

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Abstract

AlCrFeNi-based high-entropy alloys (HEAs) have attracted considerable interest owing to their adjustable phase constitution and attractive mechanical performance. In this study, AlCr_1.6Fe_xNi_(3.2−x)Si_0.2 HEAs (x = 1.0–2.0) were fabricated by vacuum arc melting to systematically evaluate the influence of the Fe/Ni ratio on phase evolution, microstructural characteristics, and mechanical behavior. The results indicate that, with increasing Fe content, the phase constitution gradually changes from BCC+B2+σ to BCC+B2. Correspondingly, the microstructure evolves from floral and cellular eutectic morphologies to branch-like BCC-rich regions with inter-branch/intercellular eutectic constituents. At the same time, the Vickers hardness decreases from 584.1 HV to 365.7 HV as the Fe content increases. Compression results show a gradual reduction in alloy strength, whereas the deformation ability is noticeably improved. Fracture surface analysis further reveals that the alloys with x ≤ 1.4 exhibit typical brittle fracture features, while those with x ≥ 1.6 display incomplete fracture and enhanced plastic deformation. These results clarify the relationship among Fe/Ni ratio, phase constitution, microstructural evolution, and mechanical properties in AlCrFeNiSi-based HEAs.

Keywords: high-entropy alloys; phase constitution; microstructural evolution; hardness; compression behavior

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MDPI and ACS Style

Ren, Y.; Yang, T.; Deng, H.; Feng, J.; Meng, Q.; Qi, J.; Wei, F.; Sui, Y. Effect of Fe/Ni Ratio on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of AlCr_1.6Fe_xNi_(3.2−x)Si_0.2 High-Entropy Alloys. Metals 2026, 16, 570. https://doi.org/10.3390/met16060570

AMA Style

Ren Y, Yang T, Deng H, Feng J, Meng Q, Qi J, Wei F, Sui Y. Effect of Fe/Ni Ratio on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of AlCr_1.6Fe_xNi_(3.2−x)Si_0.2 High-Entropy Alloys. Metals. 2026; 16(6):570. https://doi.org/10.3390/met16060570

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ren, Yaojian, Tailin Yang, Honglian Deng, Junjie Feng, Qingkun Meng, Jiqiu Qi, Fuxiang Wei, and Yanwei Sui. 2026. "Effect of Fe/Ni Ratio on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of AlCr_1.6Fe_xNi_(3.2−x)Si_0.2 High-Entropy Alloys" Metals 16, no. 6: 570. https://doi.org/10.3390/met16060570

APA Style

Ren, Y., Yang, T., Deng, H., Feng, J., Meng, Q., Qi, J., Wei, F., & Sui, Y. (2026). Effect of Fe/Ni Ratio on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of AlCr_1.6Fe_xNi_(3.2−x)Si_0.2 High-Entropy Alloys. Metals, 16(6), 570. https://doi.org/10.3390/met16060570

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Effect of Fe/Ni Ratio on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of AlCr_1.6Fe_xNi_(3.2−x)Si_0.2 High-Entropy Alloys

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