Novel applications of ferroalloys for manufacturing of high entropy alloy

Abstract

Ferroalloys serve important functions during the steelmaking process and impart distinctive qualities to steel. High entropy alloy can be also produced by mixing ferroalloy elements in an equimolar ratio because of it has the advantage of low cost compared with using high purity metals. However, fundamental studies about the preparation of the high entropy alloy by using ferroalloy are scarce. Therefore, the CoCrFeMnNi high-entropy alloys (HEAs) were prepared by using ferroalloys as raw material and refined in an induction furnace with magnesia or alumina refractory under pure Ar atmosphere at 1773 K in the current study. The two different CaO-Al2O3-MgO slags saturated with MgO or Al2O3 were designed to investigate the effect of slag composition on the types of inclusions in the HEAs. The results showed that the complex inclusions MnAl2O4-MnS and Al2O3 were formed when the alloys melted in an alumina refractory, whereas MnAl2O4-MnS, MnCr2O4-MnS, as well as MgAl2O4, were found when the alloys melted in a magnesia refractory.