In this communication, we propose a sustainable way to produce high-entropy alloys (HEAs) from alloy scraps called “alloy mixing”. We successfully demonstrate the method's feasibility at a lab scale using a near-equimolar CrCuFeMnNi HEA. Alloy scraps (304L stainless steel (SS), Nichrome 80, and electrical wire grade Copper) obtained from various sources were melted together using vacuum arc melting along with minor additions of Mn and Cr to achieve the equiatomic composition. The alloy was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which confirmed that the alloy produced through “alloy mixing” exhibits a microstructure similar to that of the alloy with the same composition produced through conventional melting of pure elements. Property calculation module on ThermoCalc was used to compare the yield strength of the conventional alloy and the alloy with impurities which indicated a 50% increase in yield strength. An uncertainty quantification analysis with 1000 alloy compositions with varying impurity contents indicates that the yield strength is strongly dependent on the impurity content. The cost analysis revealed that "alloy mixing" would lead to a significant reduction in fabrication costs. The results of this study are promising in the context of the commercialization of HEAs.

Graphical Abstract

中文翻译：

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从合金废料生产高熵合金的可持续低成本方法

在本次交流中，我们提出了一种从合金废料中生产高熵合金 (HEA) 的可持续方法，称为“合金混合”。我们使用接近等摩尔的 CrCuFeMnNi HEA 在实验室规模上成功地证明了该方法的可行性。使用真空电弧熔炼从各种来源获得的合金废料（304L 不锈钢 (SS)、镍铬合金 80 和电线级铜）与少量添加的 Mn 和 Cr 一起熔化以达到等原子组成。采用 X 射线衍射 (XRD) 和扫描电子显微镜 (SEM) 对该合金进行了表征，证实了通过“合金混合”生产的合金具有与通过纯纯的常规熔炼生产的具有相同成分的合金相似的微观结构。元素。ThermoCalc 上的性能计算模块用于比较常规合金和含杂质合金的屈服强度，表明屈服强度提高了 50%。对 1000 种不同杂质含量的合金成分进行的不确定性量化分析表明，屈服强度很大程度上取决于杂质含量。成本分析表明，“合金混合”将导致制造成本显着降低。这项研究的结果在 HEA 商业化的背景下是有希望的。对 1000 种不同杂质含量的合金成分进行的不确定性量化分析表明，屈服强度很大程度上取决于杂质含量。成本分析表明，“合金混合”将导致制造成本显着降低。这项研究的结果在 HEA 商业化的背景下是有希望的。对具有不同杂质含量的 1000 种合金成分进行的不确定性量化分析表明，屈服强度很大程度上取决于杂质含量。成本分析表明，“合金混合”将导致制造成本显着降低。这项研究的结果在 HEA 商业化的背景下是有希望的。

图形概要