Anti-Corrosion High-Entropy Alloy Coatings

Abstract

High-entropy alloy (HEA) coatings have emerged as a potentially revolutionary approach to combating corrosion in extreme environments. Unlike conventional alloy coatings, which rely on a single dominant element, HEAs incorporate multiple principal elements in near-equiatomic ratios, leading to exceptional corrosion resistance, mechanical durability, and thermal stability. The unique core effects of HEAs-high configurational entropy, sluggish diffusion, severe lattice distortion, and the cocktail effect-contribute to their superior performance by enhancing passive film formation, reducing atomic migration, and preventing localized corrosion. This chapter provides a concise overview of the anti-corrosion mechanisms of HEA coatings, discussing the role of alloying elements in passive layer formation and electrochemical stability. Various fabrication techniques-including laser cladding, thermal spraying, magnetron sputtering, and electrochemical deposition-are examined for their effectiveness in producing dense, adherent, and long-lasting HEA coatings. The performance of these coatings in marine, high-temperature, acidic, and biomedical environments is analyzed, highlighting their advantages over traditional stainless steel and nickel-based coatings. Furthermore, the challenges and future directions of HEA coatings are discussed, emphasizing the need for cost-effective processing, scalability, and long-term stability evaluation. The potential of self-healing coatings, nanocomposite HEAs, and functionalized surfaces is explored as promising research directions. With continued advancements in materials science and coating technologies, HEA coatings are poised to revolutionize corrosion-resistant applications in the aerospace, energy, marine, chemical, and biomedical industries. © 2026 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.