Laser repairing of FeCoCrNiV high-entropy alloy and its mechanical and cutting characteristics

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) are promising structural and functional materials owing to their superior mechanical and chemical properties. High surface quality and good machinability are essential for micro-machining high-end precision equipment. Here, laser repairing (LR) was firstly employed to eliminate surface defects and improve the machinability of FeCoCrNiV. After LR, the microstructures and mechanical properties of FeCoCrNiV were investigated. The results show that the surface morphology and chemical composition uniformity of FeCoCrNiV were significantly improved after LR, in which the high melting-point V-rich precipitates concentrated on the original surface were homogeneously distributed throughout the substrate. The surface hardness decreased from 10.5 to 4.5 GPa due to the growth of grains, and the hardness distribution became more homogeneous after LR, providing the opportunity to improve its machinability. In ultrasonic vibration diamond turning tests, the machined surface quality, tool wear, and cutting chips indicated that the laser-repaired material exhibited superior machinability. A sinusoidal free-form surface with high surface quality was then constructed by ultrasonic vibration-assisted diamond turning on the laser-repaired surface. This study provides a method to repair surface defects of HEAs and improve their machinability, which is beneficial to their practical applications.