Advanced interstitial high-entropy alloy engineered for exceptional wear resistance via dual nanoprecipitation-induced heterogeneous structure

Despite achieving notable strength and wear resistance in precipitation -strengthened Cantor high -entropy alloy (HEA), the inherent brittleness of precipitates leads to a loss of ductility. In this study, we propose a novel approach to address this issue by introducing nanosized M 23 C 6 -combined with Cr 2 N, termed dualnanoprecipitation, and heterogeneous structure in a C and N co -doped interstitial HEA (iHEA). The abundant nanoscale M 23 C 6 and Cr 2 N particles serve not only as reinforcing agents to enhance strength and wear resistance but also hinder the recrystallization process, resulting in a heterogeneous structure containing recrystallized and non -recrystallized zones. This heterogeneity triggers additional strengthening and strain hardening mechanisms, thereby enhancing the deformability of iHEA. Furthermore, the heterogeneous structure effectively mitigates strain localization on the sliding surface during wear, thus improving tribological properties. By overcoming the challenge of poor ductility while maintaining exceptional strength and wear resistance, the dualnanoprecipitation-induced heterogeneous structure offers promising avenues for the development of alloys with superior strength -ductility synergy and wear resistance.