This study explores the fabrication of an equimolar CoCrFeNi high-entropy alloy (HEA)
using laser metal deposition (LMD) technique on a 316 L austenitic stainless steel
substrate, without pre-alloying. Elemental metal powders were mixed in a planetary
ball mill and directly deposited to investigate the effect of layer number on alloy
composition and substrate intermixing. Experimental results revealed significant dilution
in the first four layers, with substrate intermixing affecting composition. The coarse-grained
crystal structure observed in the initial layers persisted in subsequent layers, and
hardness measurements indicated the cumulative thermal effects of sequential deposition.
From an industrial perspective, this approach offers a cost-effective and flexible
manufacturing strategy, eliminating the need for pre-alloying. Moreover, gradient
compositional layers can be achieved, enabling tailored material properties. This
work demonstrates the feasibility of producing multi-layer HEAs directly from elemental
powders while addressing the challenges of compositional stability.
