Developing soft magnetic materials with high saturation magnetization, low coercivity, and excellent mechanical properties remains a challenge. This study investigates the FeCoNiMn0.25Al0.25 high-entropy alloy fabricated via vacuum arc melting. To analyze the effect of strain path, unidirectional and bidirectional cold rolling were applied with thickness reductions of 20%, 50%, and 90%. X-ray diffraction confirmed a face-centered cubic phase in cold rolling samples, while annealing at 900 °C led to a dual-phase structure (face-centered cubic + minor body-centered cubic). Deformation texture analysis revealed α-fiber components in unidirectional-cold rolling samples and normal direction-rotated brass components in bidirectional-cold rolling samples, with annealing twins influencing the final recrystallization texture. The Ms values increased to ∼114.6 and 111.8 emu/gram, while Hc decreased to ∼242.3 and 231.7 A/m for 90% cold rolling followed by annealing in unidirectional and bidirectional samples, respectively. Mechanical testing showed high hardness, yield strength, and tensile strength in cold rolling conditions, with improved plasticity after annealing. The unidirectional-annealed samples exhibited the best balance of magnetic and mechanical properties, making this high-entropy alloy a strong candidate for electrical machinery, transformers, magnetic shielding, and power generation applications.
SathiarajGDTsaiCWYehJW, et al.The effect of heating rate on microstructure and texture formation during annealing of heavily cold-rolled equiatomic CoCrFeMnNi high entropy alloy. J Alloys Compd2016; 688: 752–761.
3.
KamalMVRagunathSHema Sagar ReddyM, et al.Recent advancements in lightweight high entropy alloys – a comprehensive review. Int J Light Mater Manuf2024; 7: 699–720.
4.
ModanwalRPMurugesanJSathiarajD. Tribological and corrosion behaviour of non-equiatomic magnetic FeCoNiMnAl high entropy alloy. Tribol Int2024; 198: 109903.
5.
DandekarTRKhatirkarRKKumarA, et al.Unidirectional cold rolling of Fe-21Cr-5Mn-1.5Ni alloy – microstructure, texture and magnetic properties. J Magn Magn Mater2022; 549: 169040.
6.
LuTHeTAndreoliAF, et al.The origin of good mechanical and soft magnetic properties in a CoFeNi-based high-entropy alloy with hierarchical structure. Mater Charact2024; 215: 114237.
7.
AkbariAVafaeiRJamaliH, et al.Effects of annealing and cold rolling on microstructural features, magnetic properties, tensile behavior and electrical resistance of FeCoNi(MnAl)x high entropy alloys. Intermetallics2024; 175: 108521.
8.
ZhangHYangYLiuL, et al.A novel FeCoNiCr0.2Si0.2 high entropy alloy with an excellent balance of mechanical and soft magnetic properties. J Magn Magn Mater2015; 378: 54–58.
9.
ReddySRAhmedMZSathiarajGD, et al.Effect of strain path on microstructure and texture formation in cold-rolled and annealed FCC equiatomic CoCrFeMnNi high entropy alloy. Intermetallics2017; 87: 94–103.
10.
NaseriMPratskovaSImantalabO, et al.Unveiling the effect of strain path-dependent microstructural evolution on the electrochemical behavior of cold-rolled [FeNi]69Cr15Mn10Nb6 high-entropy alloy. Coll Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp2025; 704: 135529.
11.
GuraoNPSethuramanSSuwasS. Effect of strain path change on the evolution of texture and microstructure during rolling of copper and nickel. Mater Sci Eng A2011; 528: 7739–7750.
12.
LucasMSMaugerLMuozJA, et al.Magnetic and vibrational properties of high-entropy alloys. J Appl Phys2011; 109. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3538936.
13.
KaoYFChenSKChenTJ, et al.Electrical, magnetic, and Hall properties of AlxCoCrFeNi high-entropy alloys. J Alloys Compd2011; 509: 1607–1614.
14.
LiPWangALiuCT. A ductile high entropy alloy with attractive magnetic properties. J Alloys Compd2017; 694: 55–60.
15.
CuiYShenJManladanSM, et al.Wear resistance of FeCoCrNiMnAlx high-entropy alloy coatings at high temperature. Appl Surf Sci2020; 512: 145736.
16.
YangCLiuXZhuZ, et al.Study of tribological property of laser-cladded FeCoCrNiMn x high-entropy alloy coatings via experiment and molecular dynamics simulation. Tribol Int2024; 191: 109106.
17.
LiPWangALiuCT. Composition dependence of structure, physical and mechanical properties of FeCoNi(MnAl)x high entropy alloys. Intermetallics2017; 87: 21–26.
18.
LuTHeTZhaoP, et al.Fine tuning in-sync the mechanical and magnetic properties of FeCoNiAl0.25Mn0.25 high-entropy alloy through cold rolling and annealing treatment. J Mater Process Technol2021; 289: 116945.
19.
KumariPMishraRKGuptaAK, et al.A systematic investigations on effect of annealing temperature on magnetic properties of a promising soft magnetic Co35Cr5Fe10Ni30Ti20 HEA. J Alloys Compd2023; 931: 167451.
20.
AhmadAAMigdadiABAlsaadAM, et al.Computational and experimental characterizations of annealed Cu2ZnSnS4 thin films. Heliyon2022; 8: e08683.
21.
GuoWSuJLuW, et al.Dislocation-induced breakthrough of strength and ductility trade-off in a non-equiatomic high-entropy alloy. Acta Mater2020; 185: 45–54.
22.
SathiarajGDSkrotzkiWPukenasA, et al.Effect of annealing on the microstructure and texture of cold rolled CrCoNi medium-entropy alloy. Intermetallics2018; 101: 87–98.
23.
HansenNJensenDJ. Development of microstructure in FCC metals during cold work. Ser A Math Phys Eng Sci1999; 357: 1447–1469.
24.
KonkovaTMironovSKorznikovA, et al.Effect of cryogenic temperature and change of strain path on grain re fi nement during rolling of Cu – 30Zn brass. Mater Des2015; 86: 913–921.
25.
HongSHLeeDN. Deformation and recrystallization textures in cross-rolled copper sheet. J Eng Mater Technol2002; 124: 13–22.
26.
HaaseCBarrales-MoraLA. Influence of deformation and annealing twinning on the microstructure and texture evolution of face-centered cubic high-entropy alloys. Acta Mater2018; 150: 88–103.
27.
AgcaSCankayaG. The effect of cold rolling on mechanical properties of Zircaloy-4. Int J Muliticisciplinary Stud Innov Technol2017; 1: 29–35.
28.
QiaoJZhangHMengH, et al.Compositional dependence of the recrystallization and grain growth in strongly-distorted Pd-containing multi-component equiatomic alloys. Met Mater Int2024; 30: 380–392.
29.
WuZBeiHOttoF, et al.Recovery, recrystallization, grain growth and phase stability of a family of FCC-structured multi-component equiatomic solid solution alloys. Intermetallics2014; 46: 131–140.
30.
MishraRKShahiRR. Phase evolution and magnetic characteristics of TiFeNiCr and TiFeNiCrM (M = Mn, Co) high entropy alloys. J Magn Magn Mater2017; 442: 218–223.
31.
ZhongLXuHGuY, et al.Correlation between the magnetic properties and phase constitution of FeCoNi(CuAl)0.8Gax (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.08) high-entropy alloys. J Alloys Compd2018; 746: 285–291.
32.
KumariPKumarAMishraRK, et al.Investigations on phase formation and magnetic properties of promisingCo35Cr5Fe10Ni30Ti20 high entropy alloysynthesized through radio frequency induction melting. J Alloys Compd2023; 960: 170697.
33.
LiuSBauserSTurgutZ, et al.Fe–Co–V alloy with improved magnetic properties and high- temperature creep resistance. J Appl Phys2003; 93: 7118–7120.
34.
XueDChaiGLiX, et al.Effects of grain size distribution on coercivity and permeability of ferromagnets. J Magn Magn Mater2008; 320: 1541–1543.
35.
KinoTEndoTKawataS. Deviations from Matthiessen’s rule of the electrical resistivity of dislocations in aluminum. J Phys Soc Japan1974; 36: 698–705.
36.
Van DuongLNgocNBaoT, et al.Effect of annealing temperature on electrical and thermal property of cold- rolled multi-walled carbon nanotubes reinforced copper composites. Diam Relat Mater2020; 108: 107980.
37.
KozeljPVrtnikSJelenA, et al.Discovery of a superconducting high-entropy alloy. Phys Rev Lett2014; 113: –5.
38.
JayarajJThirathipviwatPHanJ, et al.Microstructure, mechanical and thermal oxidation behavior of AlNbTiZr high entropy alloy. Intermetallics2018; 100: 9–19.
39.
TaylorGI. The mechanism of plastic deformation of crystals. Part I.—theoretical. Proc R Soc Lond Ser A1934; 145: 362–387.
40.
SivamSPSSRajendranRHarshavardhanaN. An investigation of stored energy in uniaxial and biaxial directional rolling on mechanical properties and microstructure of pure copper. Mech Based Des Struct Mach2023; 51: 2831–2843.
41.
WangQJiangBLiuL, et al.Reduction per pass effect on texture traits and mechanical anisotropy of Mg–Al–Zn–Mn–Ca alloy subjected to unidirectional and cross rolling. J Mater Res Technol2020; 9: 9607–9619.
42.
KumarAKapoorRMandalS, et al.Influence of strain rate on the work hardening, strain induced martensite formation, strain partitioning, and variant selection in a medium-Mn steel. Mater Sci Eng A2024; 902: 146593.
43.
GaoSChenMJoshiM. Yielding behavior and its effect on uniform elongation in IF steel with various grain sizes. J Mater Sci2014; 49: 6536–6542.
44.
LiuCPengWJiangCS, et al.Composition and phase structure dependence of mechanical and magnetic properties for AlCoCuFeNi x high entropy alloys. J Mater Sci Technol2019; 35: 1175–1183.
45.
DongPZhangLHuangL, et al.Cooperative regulation of mechanical properties and magnetoresistance effect in high-entropy alloys by spinodal decomposition. J Alloys Compd2024; 970: 172547.
46.
DongPHuangLYangQ, et al.Mechanical and magnetic properties of nonequiatomic Fe33Co28Ni28Ta5Al6 high entropy alloy by laser melting deposition. Vacuum2024; 220: 112854.
47.
LiZZhangZLiuX, et al.Strength, plasticity and coercivity tradeoff in soft magnetic high-entropy alloys by multiple coherent interfaces. Acta Mater2023; 254: 118970.
48.
TanXLiJZhangS, et al.The Si-doped BCC-based high-entropy alloy to overcome soft magnetic – mechanical properties trade-off via coherent B2 nanoprecipitates. Mater Charact2024; 217: 114402.
49.
HidalgoJCelada-CaseroCSantofimiaMJ. Fracture mechanisms and microstructure in a medium Mn quenching and partitioning steel exhibiting macrosegregation. Mater Sci Eng A2019; 754: 766–777.
50.
PandeyCSainiNMahapatraMM, et al.Study of the fracture surface morphology of impact and tensile tested cast and forged (C & F) Grade 91 steel at room temperature for different heat treatment regimes. Eng Fail Anal2017; 71: 131–147.
51.
KumarNSinghKSinghA. Microstructural evolution after heat treatment of high specific strength steel: fe-13Al-16Mn-5Ni-0.8C and correlation with tensile properties. Materialia2022; 22: 101412.
