Electrochemical Deposition and Corrosion Resistance Characterization of FeCoNiCr High-Entropy Alloy Coatings

Abstract

The corrosion resistance of FeCoNiCr high-entropy alloy deposits was investigated upon being prepared by current electrodeposition. The coatings were co-deposited in an electrolyte of an aqueous ferrous, cobalt, nickel, and chromium sulfates solution. Energy dispersive spectrometry analysis demonstrated that all four elements were co-deposited successfully. At the same time, the results from SEM indicate that the surface of the coating exhibits a granular morphology, with uniform density and no presence of cracks, with sizes ranging from 500 nm to 5 μm. Furthermore, X-ray diffraction patterns enunciated that the as-deposited coatings were amorphous. The polarization curves of the FeCoNiCr high-entropy alloy coating were measured by an electrochemical workstation in 3.5 wt.% NaCl, 1 mol·L−1 H2SO4 and 1 mol·L−1 NaOH solutions. The results revealed that the coating exhibited excellent corrosion resistance. The corrosion mechanism of the FeCoNiCr high-entropy alloy coating was analyzed in different environments. Moreover, the scratch testing method was employed to determine the alloy adhesion on the substrate, with higher values obtained for the FeCoNiCr alloy.