Phase Selection in High-Entropy Alloys : From Nonequilibrium to Equilibrium

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) have been investigated considerably in the last decade. The phase selection in HEAs has attracted much attention recently, especially on forming of the solid solutions. Up to now, phase diagrams of most HEAs are still not well developed, and the empirical phase selection rules play an important role in HEAs area. In this brief review, the physical factors controlling the phase stability in HEAs are discussed, and the phase selection rules are identified. Different from previous results, the rules on equilibrium phase selection within a certain temperature range are carefully reviewed and presented in this article.