Effect of constituent phase and processing parameter on the WEDM performance of refractory high entropy alloys

Authors：Zhang, Jingsai; Yue, Xiaokang; Zhang, Junsheng; Wang, Yong; Chen, Shunhua^*

Source：INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ADVANCED MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY, 2024, 130(3-4): 1541-1561.

DOI：10.1007/s00170-023-12773-4

• WEDM
• Refractory high entropy alloy
• Constituent phase
• Processing performance

As a new kind of high-performance alloy suitable for elevated environments, refractory high entropy alloys (RHEAs) have attracted a wide range of research attention. How to process RHEAs has profound significance for their practical engineering applications. In this work, four RHEAs with different constituent phases were subjected to wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM). The effects of constituent phases and processing parameters on the WEDM performance of RHEAs were investigated. The findings have shown that the constituent phase is the primary factor that affects the WEDM performance of RHEAs, followed by the melting point. The relationship between the WEDM performance and the constituent phases of RHEAs was also established that the increase in the number of constituent phases or the content of additional phases is beneficial for the removal of workpiece materials. In addition, by exploring the effects of processing parameters on the WEDM performance, both higher cutting efficiency (CE) and lower surface roughness (Ra) in a single cutting pass were achieved, overcoming the trade-off between CE and machined quality. The present findings not only reveal the WEDM performance of RHEAs but also shed more light on the WEDM mechanisms of RHEAs with different constituent phases.