Superior corrosion resistance and its origins in an additively manufactured Co-Cr-Ni-Al-Ti high-entropy alloy with nano-lamellar precipitates

doi:10.1016/j.jmst.2024.12.072

Abstract

Abstract: L1₂-strengthened high-entropy alloys (HEAs) are promising materials for advanced structural applications in harsh environments due to their outstanding mechanical properties. However, the Cr-depleted L1₂ particles usually increase the alloy's galvanic corrosion susceptibility, thus resulting in a decrease in pitting resistance. In this work, the corrosion behavior and associated passive film characteristics of a novel Co₄₀Cr₂₀Ni₃₀Al₅Ti₅ HEA (at.%) additively manufactured by selective laser melting (SLM) were systematically characterized and investigated. It was found that the precipitation of coherent nano-lamellar L1₂ phase significantly refined the grain structure of the aged alloy, which leads to an anomalously improved corrosion resistance compared to the as-printed single-phase counterpart. Such excellent corrosion resistance of the aged alloy originated from the thin amorphous passive film with Cr₂O₃, Al₂O₃, and TiO₂ as the main constituents that were firmly adhered to the alloy matrix. Moreover, the corrosion morphologies revealed that the dense and large-sized pits on the as-printed alloy were in sharp contrast to the sparse and irregularly-shaped pits on the aged alloy, which can be attributed to the potential difference and/or the refined grain structure. These findings will effectively advance the development of corrosion-resistant additively manufactured alloys and provide new insights into the innovative design of high-performance damage-tolerant L1₂-strengthened HEAs.

Key words: High-entropy alloy, Corrosion behavior, Additive manufacturing, L1₂ nanoprecipitates, Passive film

J.Y. Zhang, Z.F. Yao, Y.H. Zhou, J.H. Luan, X.J. Liu, Z.Y. Sun, H. Nan, Y.L. Zhao, T. Yang. Superior corrosion resistance and its origins in an additively manufactured Co-Cr-Ni-Al-Ti high-entropy alloy with nano-lamellar precipitates[J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2025, 231: 164-179.

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