{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T15:42:15Z","timestamp":1785426135769,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":47,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,10]],"date-time":"2026-06-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1781049600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100012490","name":"Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, North Minzu University","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["2023QNPY04"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2023QNPY04"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100012490","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"award":["2023QNPY04"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2023QNPY04"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/05xjevr11","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004772","name":"Ningxia Natural Science Foundation","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["2023AAC03289"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2023AAC03289"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004772","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004772","name":"Ningxia Natural Science Foundation","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["2025AAC020005"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2025AAC020005"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004772","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Materials"],"abstract":"<jats:p>In this work, to address the limitation of low strength and hardness of single-phase CoCrFeNi high-entropy alloy, SiC particles were introduced as a reinforcing phase to prepare CoCrFeNi matrix composites with SiC contents of 0 wt%, 1 wt%, 2.5 wt% and 5 wt% via spark plasma sintering (SPS). It was preliminarily predicted that SiC particles would be uniformly distributed along grain boundaries of the CoCrFeNi matrix. During sintering, partial SiC decomposes at high-temperature, high-activity interfaces, regulating carbide precipitation and phase structural evolution, while residual undecomposed SiC remains at grain boundaries to pin boundaries and refine grains, thereby synergistically enhancing mechanical properties and wear resistance. Microstructural characterization reveals that all samples maintain a face-centered cubic (FCC) solid-solution matrix, and samples with non-zero SiC addition contain Cr7C3 carbides, which are mostly distributed at grain boundaries. With the increase in SiC content, mechanical performance is remarkably improved compared with the unreinforced CoCrFeNi matrix: the hardness rises from 198.8 HV to 321.7 HV, the yield strength is greatly enhanced from 242.5 MPa to 673.4 MPa, and the tensile strength increases from 557.9 MPa to 755.7 MPa. The improved yield strength originates synergistically from grain refinement, solid-solution strengthening, grain-boundary strengthening and dislocation strengthening. By clarifying the influence of microstructural defects on critical shear stress (\u03c40) and normal fracture stress (\u03c30), the intrinsic mechanism governing tensile mechanical performance and ductile\u2013brittle fracture transition was revealed. This optimized CoCrFeNi\/SiC composite exhibits excellent strength\u2013hardness comprehensive performance, showing promising application potential for high-load, wear-resistant and structural service components under severe tribological and pressure conditions.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ma19122501","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]],"date-time":"2026-06-11T00:48:35Z","timestamp":1781138915000},"page":"2501","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Effect of SiC Content on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of CoCrFeNi High-Entropy Alloy Composites"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"19","author":[{"given":"Ning","family":"Li","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Materials Science and Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan 750021, China"},{"name":"National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Advanced Carbon-Based Ceramics Preparation Technology, Yinchuan 750021, China"},{"name":"Key Laboratory of Powder Materials & Advanced Ceramics, Yinchuan 750021, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xinlong","family":"Hu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Materials Science and Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan 750021, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-2818-7848","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Chengbo","family":"Wu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Materials Science and Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan 750021, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mengyuan","family":"Jiang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Materials Science and Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan 750021, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Huiying","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Materials Science and Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan 750021, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jinlong","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Materials Science and Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan 750021, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9455-8907","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fuyuan","family":"Dong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Materials Science and Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan 750021, China"},{"name":"National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Advanced Carbon-Based Ceramics Preparation Technology, Yinchuan 750021, China"},{"name":"Key Laboratory of Powder Materials & Advanced Ceramics, Yinchuan 750021, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"299","DOI":"10.1002\/adem.200300567","article-title":"Nanostructured High-Entropy Alloys with Multiple Principal Elements: Novel Alloy Design Concepts and Outcomes","volume":"6","author":"Yeh","year":"2004","journal-title":"Adv. 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