ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Data Journal

Mechanisms of cryogenic hardening and detwinning in heterostructured high-entropy alloy

Abstract: Heterostructured high-entropy alloys (HEAs) combine multiple strengthening mechanisms by integrating coarse- and ultrafine-grained domains within a single phase, enabling remarkable strength ductility synergy. At cryogenic temperatures, such microstructures exhibit unusual combinations of work-hardening, but the underlying mechanisms remain unresolved. This proposal aims to determine how temperature influences deformation and hardening in a heterostructured CrMnFeCoNi HEA, focusing on the interplay between dislocation activity, planar faults and detwinning. We will perform tensile experiments at room temperature, 77 K and 15 K using the cryogenic loading rig at Engin-X. Step-loading tests will quantify the evolution of lattice strains and peak-broadening associated with defect accumulation (dislocations, stacking faults and twin faults), while complementary loading unloading reloading cycles will assess reversible strain recovery linked to hetero-deformation-induced stress. Quantitative analysis will employ whole-profile fitting to derive lattice strain, dislocation density, stacking- and twin-fault probabilities as a function of stress at different temperatures. The results will clarify the mechanisms governing cryogenic hardening and detwinning in single-phase heterostructured HEA, providing benchmark data for constitutive models of heterogeneous alloys under extreme conditions and advancing the design of cryogenic structural materials for energy and aerospace applications.

Principal Investigator: Dr Muhammad Naeem
Experimenter: Dr Liliana Romero Resendiz
Local Contact: Dr Tung Lik Lee

DOI: 10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2610418

ISIS Experiment Number: RB2610418

Publisher: STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source

Data format: RAW/Nexus
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Data Citation

The recommended format for citing this dataset in a research publication is as:
[author], [date], [title], [publisher], [doi]

For Example:
Dr Muhammad Naeem et al; (2026): Mechanisms of cryogenic hardening and detwinning in heterostructured high-entropy alloy, STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, https://doi.org/10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2610418

Data is released under the CC-BY-4.0 license.