Surface alloying of H13 tool steel by Al 2 CrFeCoCuTiNi 2 high-entropy alloy using tungsten-inert gas process under various substrate initial temperatures

Surface alloying of H13 tool steel was carried out using a tungsten-inert gas process and Al 2 CrCoCuTiNi 2 high-entropy alloy filler metal under various substrate initial temperatures. The filler metal showed the segregation of Cu and Cr while the composition of the alloying layer was modified to ∼Al 2 CrFeCoCuTiNi 2 + carbon due to dilution. The alloying layers showed fine dendrites of TiC in a cell/intercellular morphology of the dominant BCC and minor FCC phases, respectively. It was found that the lower the substrate temperature, the lower the dilution rate, Fe-content of the layer, and FCC phase. A contrary trend was observed for the fractions of TiC. The maximum hardness of the alloying layer was ∼780 HV using the lowest substrate temperature.