Enhancing Surface Performance of Non Equiatomic FeCoNiMnAl High-Entropy Alloy: Synergistic Effects of Deformation Path and Heat Treatment

Abstract

The development of multicomponent metallic materials with superior surface properties for tribological applications has recently been a focus of research, and high entropy alloys (HEAs) have emerged as promising candidates because of their excellent tribological properties in structural applications. This work investigates a non-equiatomic FeCoNiMn0.25Al0.25 alloy developed through severe cold rolling (CR) followed by annealing heat treatment (AHT) at varying temperatures. The effect of strain path on tribological properties is evaluated by applying unidirectional (UD) CR and bidirectional (BD) CR. Phase analysis indicates a dual-phase structure in samples annealed at 800 °C and 900 °C. The microstructural analysis demonstrates strain recovery, recrystallization, and grain growth with increasing AHT temperature, with coarser grains observed at 1000 °C. The grain boundary analysis shows a decrease in low-angle boundaries fraction with increases in AHT temperature. Tribological studies demonstrates a good dependence of the coefficient of friction (COF) and specific wear rate (SWR) on AHT temperature and strain path. The analysis of variance confirms that COF and SWR are predominantly influenced by AHT temperature (78.8 and 75%) compared to CR direction (12.9 and 17.2%). The UD-processe samples post-AHT show superior wear resistance, highlighting strain path and AHT as key factors in optimizing HEA tribological performance. © 2025 Wiley-VCH GmbH.