Abstract
High entropy alloys (HEAs) have gained attention as effective reinforcements for enhancing the properties of metal matrix composites
(MMCs), thanks to their distinct properties in contrast to traditional reinforcement particles. In view of that, this study
develops HEA-reinforced aluminum matrix composites (AMCs) consolidated through the pulse electric current sintering (PECS)
technique and examines how the HEA reinforcement influences the microstructural, tribological, and nanomechanical properties
of these consolidated composites. Appropriate thermodynamic and phase identification equations were used to determine a
suitable combination of elements for the development of the HEA reinforcement, and an optimized sintering process was used to
achieve effective bonding within the matrix. The resulting composites exhibited enhanced densification, with Laves phase, BCC,
and FCC HEA phases present. Furthermore, incorporating HEA reinforcement greatly improved the mechanical properties such
as wear resistance, microhardness, and nanoindentation characteristics of the composites such that the composite with 10% HEA
displayed about a 191% increase in microhardness, with a significantly lower average coefficient of friction (ACOF) and higher
wear resistance as compared to the unreinforced aluminum matrix.