Different Al–4Cu–1.5Mg/WC composites were synthesized through powder metallurgy to establish the effect of WC particle addition on the abrasive wear behavior of an Al–4Cu–1.5Mg (wt. %) alloy. The wear tests were performed using a pin-on-disc tribometer at room temperature in dry conditions using SiC abrasive sandpaper as a counterbody and tribometer of linear configuration. The results showed that WC additions increase the hardness of the Al–4Cu–1.5Mg alloy due to the strengthening effect of particle dispersion in the aluminum matrix, which generates an improvement in the wear resistance of the composites by preventing direct contact of the sample with the counterbody, in turn delaying the plastic deformation phenomena responsible for the degradation sequence. In addition, the dominant wear mechanism was abrasive wear, and the increased friction coefficient did not bring a rapid wear rate, which was related to the enhanced deformation resistance due to the high hardness.

The study presents a comprehensive report on the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of carbide crystallization in CrMnFeCoNi, CrMnFeCoNiV_0.5, and CrMnFeCoNiMo_0.5 HEAs. This study considers only carbon resulting from the decomposition of the process control agent, which diffuses and becomes trapped within the HEA structure (0.79–0.91 wt.% C). The crystallization and growth of the carbides were monitored through thermal analysis and thermo-XRD at different temperatures. The activation energy was calculated using the Kissinger and Flynn/Wall/Ozawa methods, and the crystallization kinetics were evaluated using the Avrami–Erofeev model. The results of the XRD analyses and DTA curves of the CrMnFeCoNi, CrMnFeCoNiV_0.5, and CrMnFeCoNiMo_0.5 HEAs showed the following nanocarbide crystallization sequences: M₇C₃→MC→M₃C₂, M₂₃C₆, and MC→M₆C, respectively. The transitions observed in the DTA curves were associated with M₇C₃, M₂₃C₆, and MC phases with activation energies (E_a) of 238–251, 188–203, and 326–341 kJ/mol, respectively. Furthermore, kinetic analyses indicate that the crystallization of M_xC_y-type carbides occurs via nucleation.