Hard magnetic properties of FeCoNiAlCuXTiX based high entropy alloys

High entropy alloys (HEA) contain multiple principal alloying elements, and possess unique properties due to the high configurational entropy and lattice strain in the system. Ferromagnetic FeCoNi-based HEAs exhibit dramatic changes in crystal structure and the type of magnetism expressed when adding non-magnetic elements such as Al, Cr, Ga, Ti, etc. Interestingly, Alnico permanent magnets also contain multiple principal alloying elements, such as Fe, Co, Ni, and Al, along with other minor additions. This well-studied system is similar in concept to high entropy alloys (HEAs). In this paper, we investigate the hard magnetic properties of FeCoNiAl-based HEAs with additions of Cu/Ti. The addition of Cu/Ti to an equimolar FeCoNiAl alloy is effective at enhancing coercivity, due to spinodal decomposition, but at the expense of saturation magnetization. By varying the ratio of Fe and Co, however, with respect to the other alloying elements, the saturation magnetization is increased, while generally retaining or improving the coercivity. In particular, the Fe2CoNiAlCu0.4Ti0.4 HEA shows promising hard magnetic properties as an isotropic cast magnet, with an HC of 1,078 Oe and (BH)max of 2.06 MGOe, slightly better than the performance of isotropic cast Alnico 2 magnets. The thermal stability is also sufficient for use at elevated temperatures over 200 °C. There was also an interesting increase in high temperature coercivity observed at temperatures from ∼650-800 °C, where these alloys often exhibited higher coercivity than that measured at RT.