A combinatorial approach for the synthesis and analysis of AlxCryMozNbTiZr high-entropy alloys: Oxidation behavior

To overcome the limited feasibility of various refractory high-entropy alloys (HEAs) due to the presence of (i) very dense elements (W and Ta), (ii) costly elements (Hf and Ta), and (iii) oxidation prone elements (V) in them, AlxCryMozNbTiZr HEAs were prepared via arc-melting. Considering the critical nature of oxidation resistance in high-temperature applications, HEAs were characterized to form a combinatorial library of microstructural and oxidation behavior. AlxCryMozNbTiZr HEAs revealed multiphase microstructures consisting of intermetallic phases along with BCC matrices. Mass loss and porous microstructures were obtained in Mo-rich HEAs after oxidation at 1000 °C for 1 h. The presence of Al enhanced the oxidation resistance and developed a protective oxide layer on the HEAs. Al30Cr10-NTZ exhibited promising potential for use in high temperature applications, as it showed an oxidation time exponent of ∼0.5 and a dense and continuous oxide layer.