Wear behaviour of high entropy alloys CrFeNiAl0.3Ti0.3 and CrFeNiAl0.3Ti0.3–Ag roll bonded with steel

Abstract This study explores the feasibility of cladding CrFeNiAl 0.3 Ti 0.3 and CrFeNiAl 0.3 Ti 0.3 –Ag high entropy alloys, produced via hot-press sintering (HPS), with commercial mild steel using the hot roll bonding (HRB) method. The bonding interface characteristics, mechanical properties, and tribological performance of these laminated composites were systematically evaluated. Microstructural analysis revealed that both high entropy alloys formed good metallurgical bonds with mild steel, exhibiting a straight interface free of visible cracks and oxidation products. Tribological investigations demonstrated that hot rolling significantly enhanced wear resistance, with specific wear rates decreasing by 70–82%. After hot rolling, the specific wear rate was reduced to (7.08–8.37) × 10 –5 mm 3 /Nm for CrFeNiAl 0.3 Ti 0.3 and (6.12–7.05) × 10 –5 mm 3 /Nm for CrFeNiAl 0.3 Ti 0.3 –Ag across a temperature range from room temperature to 900 °C, compared to their pre-rolling values. These findings highlight the potential of hot roll bonding for integrating high entropy alloys with conventional materials, offering promising prospects for applications requiring high wear resistance and thermal stability. Graphical abstract