Atomistic study on the effects of short-range order on the creep behavior of TiVTaNb refractory high-entropy alloy at high temperature

Creep is an important mechanical property of refractory high-entropy alloys (RHEAs) at high temperatures. The existence of short-range order (SRO) and its ability to improve the strength or plasticity of high-entropy alloys (HEAs) have been experimentally proven. However, there is still little research on the correlation between SRO and creep behavior. The mechanism of SRO influencing creep behavior is not yet clear. In this work, the creep behaviors of TiVTaNb RHEA with and without SRO were simulated at various temperatures and stresses using molecular dynamics methods, and the effects of SRO on creep behavior were analyzed. The results show that the SRO is energetically favorable for occurrence in this RHEA. For polycrystalline RHEAs, grain boundary energy is an important driving force for the formation of SRO. Significantly, under the same conditions, the SRO can reduce the steady-state creep rate and change the creep mechanism of the RHEA. Specifically, the models with SRO will exhibit lower stress exponent and grain-size exponent. A mechanism by which SRO reduces the effects of grain boundaries on creep has been discovered. These phenomena can be well explained by the effects of SRO on atomic diffusion. In addition, by analyzing the diffusion ability of different elements, SRO can induce localization of atomic diffusion, resulting in strain localization under high stresses. This work highlights the importance of SRO on the creep of RHEAs and provides a reference for establishing a reasonable creep model of RHEAs.