Abstract
High-entropy alloys (HEAs) show good mechanical properties like high strength, hardness and wear resistance, and this makes them attractive for application in diamond tools. However, there are severe obstacles to improving the mechanical properties of normal diamond tools with metal-matrix alloys. Here, we report the formation of FeCoCrNiMo HEAs by powder metallurgy processing, starting from a gas-atomised powder followed by mechanical milling and consolidation by spark plasma sintering. Our results show that FeCoCrNiMo HEAs with pure FCC phase can be obtained by this method. Specimens with higher hardness can be obtained at higher temperatures and low pressures, while specimens with higher bending strength are formed at lower temperatures and pressures. FeCoCrNiMo HEAs have remarkably higher hardness and better wear behaviour than metal-matrices commonly in used diamond tools, which indicates that a new type of diamond tool with superior properties can be realised from HEAs.
Special theme block on high entropy alloys, guest edited by Paula Alvaredo Olmos, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain, and Sheng Guo, Chalmers University, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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