Multistage work hardening assisted by multi-type twinning in ultrafine-grained heterostructural eutectic high-entropy alloys

High strength of materials usually comes with low ductility due to the lost or short-lived strain hardening. Here, we uncover a sequentially-activated multistage strain hardening (SMSH) that allows for sustained and effective strain-hardening capability in strong ultrafine-grained eutectic high-entropy alloy (EHEA). Consequently, exceptional ductility is realized in an ultrafine-grained EHEA, accompanied with high ultimate strength. We...