Tuning of the mechanical properties of a laser powder bed fused eutectic high entropy alloy Ni30Co30Cr10Fe10Al18W2 through heat treatment

Eutectic high entropy alloys (EHEA) with an exceptional combination of strength and ductility are promising candidates as advanced structural materials. However, achieving an optimal balance between the properties in additively manufactured EHEAs is an outstanding challenge. In this work, Ni₃₀Co₃₀Cr₁₀Fe₁₀Al₁₈W₂ EHEA was additively manufactured using the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technique. In the as-fabricated state, it exhibits a dual-phase nano-lamellar structure consisting of FCC/L1₂ and B2 phases. Post-fabrication heat treatments were explored for modulating microstructure and, in turn, enhancing the mechanical properties, so as to achieve an optimum balance between strength and ductility. Upon heat treatment at 750 °C for 1 h, part of the B2 phase transformed into FCC, with the appearance of the tungsten-rich precipitates inside the B2 phase. The average interlayer spacing of the FCC/L1₂ lamellae increased to 124 nm, while that of B2 lamellae decreased to 86 nm, resulting in an alloy with an ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 1811 MPa, although the strain to failure (ε_f) decreased to 2 %. Upon increasing the heat treatment temperature to 1000 °C, the average interlayer spacings of the FCC and B2 phases increased to 210 and 187 nm, respectively, which resulted in a more balanced mechanical behavior with UTS and ε_f of 1332 MPa and 9.3 %, respectively. This study provides an effective approach for microstructural modulation and enhancement of mechanical properties of LPBF fabricated EHEA via post-fabrication heat treatment, offering insights for developing future high-performance alloys for advanced structural applications.