Achieving high strength and large ductility in a Cr₃₀Co₃₀Ni₃₀Al₅Ti₅ alloy through intergranular precipitation

Precipitation at grain boundaries is typically not regarded as an efficient method for strengthening materials since it can induce grain boundary embrittlement, which detrimentally affects ductility. In this research, we developed a multi-principal element alloy (MPEA) with the composition Cr₃₀Co₃₀Ni₃₀Al₅Ti₅ (at.%), incorporating both intragranular and intergranular nanoprecipitates. Utilizing multiscale, three-dimensional, and in-situ electron microscopy techniques, coupled with computational simulations, we established that intergranular nanoprecipitation in this material plays a crucial role in enhancing strength and promoting dislocation plasticity. The structure of intergranular nanoprecipitation comprises multiple phases with varying composition and structure. Despite the diversity, the crystal planes conducive to the easy glide of dislocations are well-matched, allowing for the sustained continuity of dislocation slipping across different phase structures. Simultaneously, this structure generates an undulated stress field near grain boundaries, amplifying the strengthening effect and facilitating multiple slip and cross-slip during deformation. Consequently, it promotes the proliferation and storage of dislocations. As a result, our material exhibits a yield strength of approximately 1010 MPa and an ultimate tensile strength of around 1500 MPa, accompanied by a significant fracture elongation of 41 %. Our findings illuminate the potential for harnessing intergranular nanoprecipitation to optimize the strength-ductility trade-off in MPEAs, emphasizing the strategy of leveraging complex compositions for the design of sophisticated functional microstructures.