Abstract
Long before the proposal of the concept of high-entropy alloy, researchers have observed the strong dependence of ion irradiation induced swelling on the concentration of principal elements in the Fe-Cr-Ni alloy system in 1970s. Nonetheless, the underlying physics of such dependence was not systematically investigated, and principal elements were rarely targeted in design of irradiation resistant alloys, until the recent development of high-entropy alloys. This new family of alloys greatly expands the compositional space for alloy design, and provides an ideal playground of studying the impact of principal alloy elements on the irradiation response. In the recent years, significant experimental effort has been made to understand the impact of number, type, and concentration of alloying elements on the irradiation (by ions, electrons, and neutrons) induced microstructural evolution and property degradation. The up-to-date results have revealed that, defect evolution process is retarded in the alloys with high chemical complexity, through tuning the energy dissipation and the defect formation and migration energies. For example, the size of interstitial clusters is reduced, and the formation and growth of voids and helium bubbles are suppressed. It has been evidenced that proper modification of principal elements can indeed improve the irradiation resistance of alloys, however, considerable discrepancies have also been observed regarding the irradiation-induced phase instability, swelling, and hardening for different alloy systems and irradiation conditions. Therefore, a conclusive evaluation cannot be made on whether the irradiation resistance of high-entropy alloys is overall superior. We review the major progress in experimental studies on irradiation effects of high-entropy alloys, and summarize the current understanding and evaluation of the irradiation resistance. The limitations or contradictions of experimental results are discussed, and perspectives are provided for the future studies in this field.
| Translated title of the contribution | Advances in Experimental Research on Irradiation Damage of High-entropy Alloys |
|---|---|
| Original language | Chinese (Traditional) |
| Pages (from-to) | 17018-17030 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Cailiao Daobao/Materials Review |
| Volume | 34 |
| Issue number | 17 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 10 Sept 2020 |