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Refractory High-Entropy Alloy Coatings for High-Temperature Aerospace and Energy Applications

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Abstract

Refractory high-entropy alloys (RHEAs) were first developed a decade ago for aerospace applications, with the goal of manufacturing high-strength materials having higher structural performance than high-nickel superalloys. Herein, RHEAs were investigated as protective coatings that can provide increased erosion and corrosion resistance for high-temperature components. This is a step to demonstrate their use as a viable, cost-effective solution for both aerospace and energy industry needs. Two nearly equiatomic-composition RHEAs based on HfNbTaZr and MoNbTaVW are examined. A methodology for RHEA coating composition selection, manufacturing, and characterization is presented. It is shown that HfNbTaZr is suitable for harsh environments that do not include nuclear reactor radiation, while MoNbTaVW is suitable for harsh environments that include radiation. The air plasma spray (APS) and high-velocity oxygen-fuel (HVOF) thermal spray coating process is used to deposit 50 to 200-µm thick functional coatings on stainless steel (SS) 321 and Inconel 718 substrates. Contact force-dependent friction and wear rates, as well as depth- and strain rate-dependent hardness, were obtained using spheroconical scratch-based and nanoindentation methods. The data show excellent adhesive properties, high strength, and reasonable homogeneity.

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Acknowledgments

This paper describes objective technical results and analysis. Any subjective views or opinions that might be expressed in the paper do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Department of Energy or the United States Government. Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Plasma Technology Inc, Torrance, CA, 90501, USA

    Satish Dixit & Peter Buzby

  2. Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, 87185, USA

    Sal Rodriguez, Morgan R. Jones, Nicolas Argibay, Frank W. DelRio, Hannah H. Lim & Darryn Fleming

  3. DRS Research, Torrance, CA, 90501, USA

    Rashmi Dixit

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Correspondence to Satish Dixit.

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This article is part of a special topical focus in the Journal of Thermal Spray Technology on High Entropy Alloy and Bulk Metallic Glass Coatings. The issue was organized by Dr. Andrew S.M. Ang, Swinburne University of Technology; Prof. B.S. Murty, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad; Distinguished Prof. Jien-Wei Yeh, National Tsing Hua University; Prof. Paul Munroe, University of New South Wales; Distinguished Prof. Christopher C. Berndt, Swinburne University of Technology. The issue organizers were mentored by Emeritus Prof. S. Ranganathan, Indian Institute of Sciences.

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Dixit, S., Rodriguez, S., Jones, M.R. et al. Refractory High-Entropy Alloy Coatings for High-Temperature Aerospace and Energy Applications. J Therm Spray Tech 31, 1021–1031 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11666-022-01324-0

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