Precipitate-enhanced deuterium retention and desorption resistance in a W10Ta20Ti30V35C5 refractory high-entropy alloy

Low-activation refractory high-entropy alloys (LA-RHEAs) exhibit promising application prospects as nuclear materials, but the understanding of their deuterium retention and desorption mechanisms remains insufficient. In this work, a W₁₀Ta₂₀Ti₃₀V₃₅C₅ LA-RHEA was prepared by vacuum arc melting, and the deuterium retention and desorption behaviors as well as the underlying mechanisms were explored as compared with the W₁₀Ta₂₀Ti₃₅V₃₅ alloy. The W₁₀Ta₂₀Ti₃₀V₃₅C₅ LA-RHEA exhibited an enhanced deuterium retention resistance compared to W₁₀Ta₂₀Ti₃₅V₃₅, resulting from the formation of carbide precipitates. Moreover, its deuterium desorption resistance can be further improved by annealing treatment. The enhanced deuterium retention and desorption resistance can be attributed to the changes in microstructure and chemical environment, which result in the alterations of retention and desorption behaviors. The present findings shed more light on the deuterium retention and desorption behavior to improve the radiation resistance of LA-RHEAs, providing useful guidance for the exploration of high-performance plasma-facing materials.