Sustainable anti-corrosive protection technologies for metal products by electrodeposition of HEA layers

The purpose of this paper is to study the electrochemical synthesis of thin films of multi-component alloys with improved structures and properties to ensure optimal protection of metallic materials used in extreme environments against various types of corrosion, oxidation and wear. Electrochemical deposition is an inexpensive alternative to thin film synthesis because it does not require complex or costly equipment and uses readily available raw materials. This simple method offers the possibility of depositing thin layers on substrates of complex geometry and can be achieved at low process temperatures with reduced energy consumption. Electrodeposition allows easy control of chemical composition, morphology and thickness of coatings by varying deposition parameters. HEA alloys are usually developed by physical methods, most commonly by casting-melting. Mechanical alloying and rapid solidification are other synthesis processes used to obtain structural materials. HEA coatings have also been obtained by various deposition methods, such as magnetron-sputtering and laser deposition. In this paper is investigated the microstructure, mechanical properties and oxidation behaviour of HEA coating obtained by electrochemical deposition.