Identifying Magnetic Phases in Additively Manufactured High-Entropy Alloy FeCoNiAlxMnx

High-Entropy Alloys are advanced technological materials composed of several (typically five) elements in nearly equal atomic concentration. By forming these alloys, previously unknown phase fields of multidimensional phase diagrams are explored. The large number of possible substitutions of constituent elements on crystal lattice sites justifies the dominant contribution of mixing entropy over enthalpy to the free energy reduction. This leads to the formation of phases, which otherwise could not be formed in alloys with fewer main alloying elements. Here we explore magnetic and compositional properties of a High-Entropy Alloy, namely FeCoNiAl
x
Mn
x
(0.05 ≤ x ≤ 3.08), composed of magnetic (Fe, Co, Ni) and non-magnetic elements (Al, Mn). By magnetic force microscopy of a selected area, it is observed that for intermediate to low Al and Mn contents, the alloy splits in two major crystallographic phases with different magnetic properties. Elemental maps of the same area were recorded with energy dispersive spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Counterintuitively, it was found that the phase rich in non-magnetic Al has stronger magnetism than the phase rich in Fe. This work showcases possible applications of the here presented HEAs as soft magnetic materials in functional magnetic elements.