CNTs Agglomeration Effect on Wear and Mechanical Behaviors of FeCoNiMn Medium Entropy Alloys

This research aims to examine the impact of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) agglomeration on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and wear behavior of the FeCoNiMn medium entropy alloy. The CNTs were included into the mixture at weight percentages of 1, 1.5, and 2 using mechanical alloying (MA) and spark plasma sintering (SPS). The base alloy displayed brittle characteristics with a compressive strength of 880 MPa and a hardness of 400 HV. The composite containing 2 wt.% CNTs had the lowest hardness (280 HV) and compressive strength (400 MPa). The wear test demonstrated that the presence of agglomerated CNTs led to an increase in weight loss. The base alloy showed signs of adhesive wear on its worn surface, but the composite samples displayed delamination-like wear characteristics. The findings point to an unanticipated decrease in wear resistance and deterioration of mechanical properties brought on by CNT aggregation.