Sliding wear behavior of a Laves phase-strengthened CrFeNiNb0.158 alloy at room and elevated temperatures

Face-centered-cubic (FCC) compositionally complex alloys (CCAs) are recognized for their exceptional mechanical properties, rendering them promising candidates for demanding engineering applications. However, a significant challenge faced by these alloys is their limited wear resistance. In this study, we addressed this issue by introducing 5 at.% Nb into an equiatomic FCC CrFeNi alloy, thereby creating a Laves phase-strengthened CrFeNiNb_0.158 alloy, and investigated its sliding wear behavior at both room and elevated temperatures. Our findings reveal a substantial improvement in the wear performance of the Laves phase-strengthened CrFeNiNb_0.158 alloy. Specifically, at room temperature (RT), the alloy exhibited a remarkable 62 % reduction in wear rate compared to the CrFeNi alloy. Furthermore, at an elevated temperature of 600 °C, the wear rate decreased by approximately 95 %, primarily attributed to the formation of a lubricating (Cr, Fe)₂O₃ oxide layer. Through detailed analysis, we identified the wear modes as abrasive wear at RT and oxidative wear at elevated temperatures. These results provide valuable insights for designing wear-resistant FCC CCAs by utilizing Laves phase strengthening and incorporating elements prone to oxidation to facilitate the formation of a protective oxide layer at elevated temperatures.