Özkul, İskender; Güler, Ömer; Durmus, Hasan; Camgoz, Berkay; ALMisned, G.; Yaprak, Gunseli; Tekin, H.O.

This study examines how Er2O3 and B4C additions affect the structural, microstructural, mechanical, and gamma-ray attenuation behaviour of Ni–Co–Fe–Cr–Mo high-entropy alloy composites. Five samples, labelled S0–S4, were produced by vacuum arc melting with different single and combined reinforcement contents. Thermodynamic calculations showed that the metallic matrix meets the general conditions expected for solid-solution HEA formation. XRD results indicated that an FCC-based matrix remained dominant in all samples. Reflections related to Er2O3 were identified in the Er2O3-containing compositions, while several weak secondary reflections could not be assigned with certainty because of their low intensity and peak overlap. SEM-EDS analysis confirmed the presence of Er-, O-, B-, and C-containing regions and also revealed local compositional variations within the microstructure. The reinforcement additions produced a clear increase in microhardness, with the highest value of 693 ± 51 HV0.5 obtained for the hybrid-reinforced S3 sample. Gamma-ray attenuation was measured at 276, 302, 356, and 383 keV using a high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector under narrow-beam condition. S4 showed the lowest nominal transmission factor at most energies at its actual sample thickness. However, after correcting for thickness using the Beer-Lambert relationship, S2 generally showed the highest nominal linear attenuation coefficient, while S4 gave closely comparable values at several energies. Some of the differences between samples were within the propagated counting uncertainties and were therefore interpreted with caution. Overall, the results show that the composition giving the highest hardness does not necessarily provide the strongest thickness-normalized gamma-ray attenuation. The attenuation behaviour is influenced by several factors, including reinforcement composition, sample thickness, density, phase distribution, microstructural heterogeneity, and measurement uncertainty. These findings highlight the need to optimize reinforced HEA composites according to the specific mechanical and radiation-related property being targeted.

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Özkul, İskender; Güler, Ömer; Camgoz, Berkay; ALMisned, Ghada; Yaprak, Gunseli; Tekin, H.O.; Durmus, Hasan

This study investigates the structural, mechanical, and experimental gamma-ray attenuation properties of Fe-Co-Ni-Cr-W high-entropy alloy (HEA) composites reinforced with varying concentrations of Dy2O3 and B4C. A series of samples (S0-S4) was synthesized via vacuum arc melting to evaluate the synergistic effects of rare-earth oxide and carbide additions on a stable multi-component matrix. Thermodynamic assessments confirmed that the base alloy aligns with solid-solution formation criteria (1.61R configurational entropy, Ω = 10.33), which was experimentally validated by XRD patterns revealing a consistent FCC crystal structure across all compositions. SEM-EDS mapping further verified the successful integration of reinforcements as discrete secondary phases within the HEA matrix. Mechanical characterization showed that ceramic incorporation significantly enhances the hardness of the monolithic HEA, with the hybrid-reinforced S3 sample achieving a peak value of 628 HV. This improvement is attributed to the combined effects of oxide dispersion strengthening and microstructural refinement induced by B4C. Experimental gamma-ray transmission tests, conducted using a high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector in the 276-383 keV energy range, demonstrated that the S3 configuration provides the most efficient shielding performance, characterized by the lowest transmission factors. Interestingly, the results suggest that beyond an optimal threshold, increased reinforcement loading, as seen in S4 sample, may lead to minor performance trade-offs due to phase distribution dynamics. The findings highlight that the development of multifunctional HEA-based shields requires a delicate balance between reinforcement volume fraction and microstructural homogeneity to maximize both structural and shielding efficiency.

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