HEW-Form collaborative project: high-entropy materials for forming tools
20. October 2017
The image shows high-temperature testing in the W.S. MaterialtestCenter laboratory.
As part of the project “High-entropy materials for forming tools – HEW-Form”, W.S. Werkstoff Service GmbH is investigating and characterising newly developed materials from the AlxCoCrFeNi system under high-temperature conditions.
Why develop new materials for forming tools?
Alongside their mechanical load-bearing capacity, the service life of forming tools is a decisive factor in their economic use in the automotive industry. To improve these properties, the project aims to investigate high-entropy materials from the AlxCoCrFeNi alloy system systematically.
The plan is to apply these materials to press tools as functional coating systems using additive manufacturing. This is intended to give the tools greater wear resistance and a longer service life in subsequent industrial use.
High-entropy materials – a promising material concept
High-entropy materials are distinguished by their particular alloy structure with several principal components. This enables them to achieve a combination of properties that is especially attractive for high-temperature applications: high strength, good ductility, high wear resistance and stable properties at elevated temperatures. These characteristics make them promising candidates for heavily loaded tool surfaces.
A research project with strong partners
Six industrial and scientific partners are involved in this collaborative project funded by Leitmarktagentur NRW: Dörrenberg Edelstahl, Kirchhoff Automotive, the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT, Access e. V. and Ruhr University Bochum.
The aim is to develop additively manufactured high-entropy coating systems for use on forming tools. In particular, these are intended to optimise the manufacture of components by direct press hardening, an important process in modern automotive production.
Chemical analysis of the alloys
In addition to mechanical testing, the project includes spectrometric investigations of the high-entropy alloys. These include X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF), optical emission spectrometry (OES) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The aim is to identify suitable methods for reliably determining the chemical composition of these complex alloys.
The role of W.S. Werkstoff Service in the project
Within the collaborative project, we are responsible for the mechanical characterisation of various specially developed experimental alloys. A modern high-temperature testing facility is available for this purpose, allowing both tensile and compression tests to be carried out on miniature specimens at temperatures up to at least 700 °C.
A non-contact laser extensometer enables highly precise strain measurements, ranging from the smallest changes in displacement in the elastic range to large strains at specimen fracture.
Developing standardised inspection methods
Another focus of the work at W.S. Werkstoff Service is the development of standardised testing methods for characterising high-entropy materials. The company contributes the expertise of its W.S. MaterialtestCenter and W.S. ExpertCenter, particularly in high-temperature testing technology and supporting standardisation.
The long-term aim is to define suitable inspection methods and establish a basis for standards, in order to make the assessment of these innovative materials consistent.
Further information about “High-entropy materials for forming tools – HEW-Form” is available here: https://www.werkstoff-service.de/en/projekt/hew-form-high-entropy-materials-for-forming-tools/.
