Effect of Tungsten Content on the Microstructure, Mechanical and Tribological Properties of AlCoCrFeNi High-Entropy Alloys

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) have recently attracted considerable attention due to their unique combination of high strength, hardness, and corrosion and wear resistance, making them promising candidates for advanced structural and functional applications. Among these, AlCoCrFeNi-based HEAs are well known for their high hardness and good wear resistance; however, their limited tribological stability under operational conditions restricts their broader application. To address this limitation, tungsten (W) was incorporated into the AlCoCrFeNi system to enhance its mechanical and tribological performance. In this study, the microstructural, mechanical, and tribological properties of AlCoCrFeNiWx (x = 0, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5 and 1 mol) HEAs were systematically investigated. The alloys were fabricated using the vacuum arc melting method and characterized by XRD, SEM-EDS, elemental mapping, microhardness, and wear tests. The addition of W caused a shift in the 2θ ≈ 44° (110) peak toward lower angles. While the W-free alloy exhibited Body-Centered Cubic (BCC) + B2 phases, W addition led to the formation of a new W-rich phase, and at higher W contents, a pure W phase appeared. The hardness increased from 507.11 HV1 to 651.81 HV1 with increasing W content. Furthermore, wear resistance improved and the coefficient of friction decreased with higher W addition. When comparing the W-free alloy to the alloy with the highest W content, the wear rate decreased by approximately 1.85 times under a 2 N load and 1.89 times under a 5 N load. These results demonstrate that W addition significantly enhances the wear resistance of AlCoCrFeNi-based HEAs by nearly twofold.