Research Progress of Refractory High Entropy Alloys: A Review

Abstract Owing to superior comprehensive performance than conventional superalloys at high temperature, refractory high entropy alloy (RHEA) is becoming a promising candidate for the next generation high-temperature material. Herein, contemporary aspects of corresponding development of RHEAs are reviewed to discuss various factors affecting the organization structure and service performance. It mainly covers alloying system and strengthening mechanism, the preparation method, plastic deformation and the related mechanism, as well as microstructure control by heat treatment. Firstly, the alloy systems and strengthening mechanism are introduced. This is followed by different preparation methods and the comparison of strengths and shortcomings based on different RHEAs. Then, hot deformation behavior and plastic deformation under different loadings are analyzed. Based on this, the influence of heat treatment on microstructures prior to and after the deformation is further summarized. Finally, some important research areas to be carried out in future are pointed out. This review will give a deep understanding of the effects of different factors on the service performance and provide scientific guide in designing RHEAs with improved performance.