Title: Soft magnetic and mechanical properties of Fe₅Co₄Ni₄Cr_1.5Al₁Ta_0.4Nb_0.1 high-entropy alloy

Authors: Shaoheng Sun; Yaxia Qiao; Hao Zhang; Dejun Tu; Guojun Wang; Zhenhua Wang

Addresses: State Grid Electric Power Engineering Research Institute Co., Ltd., Beijing, 100031, China ' State Grid Electric Power Engineering Research Institute Co., Ltd., Beijing, 100031, China ' State Grid Electric Power Engineering Research Institute Co., Ltd., Beijing, 100031, China ' State Grid Electric Power Engineering Research Institute Co., Ltd., Beijing, 100031, China ' State Grid Electric Power Engineering Research Institute Co., Ltd., Beijing, 100031, China ' School of Materials Science and Engineering, Engineering Research Center of High Entropy Alloy Materials (Liaoning Province), Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, Liaoning, China

Abstract: This study investigates the design and properties of a high-entropy oft magnetic alloy, specifically Fe₅Co₄Ni₄Cr_1.5Al₁Ta_0.4Nb_0.1, synthesised through vacuum arc melting and subjected to various heat treatments, including solution treatment and ageing. The alloy's microstructure was thoroughly characterised using X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical microscopy (OM), and scanning electron microscope (SEM), revealing a single-phase face-centred cubic (FCC) structure with precipitated L1₂ coherent nanoparticles and other secondary phases. Mechanical properties were assessed through tensile tests and microhardness measurements, demonstrating a notable increase in yield strength and hardness following ageing, peaking at 917 MPa and 444 HV, respectively. The soft magnetic properties were evaluated using vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), indicating a reduction in saturation magnetisation but an increase in coercivity with prolonged ageing. This research highlights the significance of controlled microstructural evolution and the precipitation strengthening mechanisms that contribute to the enhanced mechanical and magnetic characteristics of high-entropy soft magnetic alloys.

Keywords: high entropy alloys; microstructure; mechanical properties; soft magnetic properties; precipitation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCMSSE.2026.152512

International Journal of Computational Materials Science and Surface Engineering, 2026 Vol.12 No.3, pp.260 - 271

Received: 02 Dec 2024
Accepted: 06 Feb 2025
Published online: 24 Mar 2026 *

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