Investigation on Gradient Fe-Ni-Cr-Mn Alloy Using Diffusion Multiples

The high-throughput synthesis and characterization of potential material combinations plays an important role in accelerating the development of new materials. Diffusion controlled synthesis of gradient alloys is widely used to create phase diagrams, and it is also one of the most effective combinatorial approaches for rapid realization of potential material combinations.<br/>This study focuses on the synthesis and investigation of the quaternary multi-principal-element alloy (MPEA) FeNiCrMn by means of diffusion multiples, the correlation of their microstructural and chemical characterization data with their application relevant properties like local mechanical and corrosion properties. A diffusion system was set up by combining an equimolar ternary alloy (FeNiCr) with a single diffusing metallic component (Mn) with the highest interdiffusion coefficient. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) were used to collect microstructural and compositional information which were correlated to local mechanical properties studied with nanoindentation. Local corrosion properties were investigated by means of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy (SECM). We have observed that a &gt;50 µm deep homogeneous diffusion zone was formed the thickness of which scales with the duration of the thermal treatment. Beyond the Mn-concentration gradient in the FeNiCr matrix, a distinct Cr-rich secondary phase, characterized by high hardness and elastic modulus values appeared. We synthesized MPEAs with selected compositions from the diffusion zone as well as the Cr-rich phase as bulk alloys for electrochemical corrosion studies under different environmental conditions. The presentation will summarize the results of our correlative study on the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of the quaternary multi-principal-element alloy (MPEA) FeNiCrMn family.