An interstitial solute strengthened high entropy alloy (iHEA), Fe 49.5 Mn 30 Co 10 Cr 10 C 0.5 (at.%), was successfully additively manufactured via selective laser melting. The as-built iHEA exhibits a hierarchically heterogeneous microstructure with length scales across several orders of magnitude, which engenders an enhanced strength-ductility combination relative to those fabricated by conventional processing routes. The high yield strength mainly stemmed from the dislocation strengthening besides the friction stress and grain boundary strengthening. The joint activation of multiple deformation mechanisms involving dislocation slip, deformation twinning and phase transformation can maintain the steady work-hardening behavior at high stress levels, leading to a high ductility. IMPACT STATEMENT A hierarchical interstitial high entropy alloy, Fe 49.5 Mn 30 Co 10 Cr 10 C 0.5 (at.%), was successfully additively manufactured via selective laser melting. Its exceptional strength-ductility synergy surpasses that of the most SLM processed conventional alloys.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.