M. Włoczewski; D.M. Jarzabek; D. Oleszak
SSRN 4997543 (2024)
Producing reliable, thick high-entropy alloy (HEA) coatings with strong adhesion to the substrate remains a significant challenge and is often costly. Therefore, it is crucial to explore alternatives to the traditional, commonly used techniques. In this study, we propose a hybrid approach that combines three methods–mechanical alloying, co-electrodeposition, and heat treatment–to create a high-entropy coating. Two different high-entropy powder compositions, CoCrFeMnNi and CoCrFeMn, were prepared and then simultaneously co-electrodeposited with nickel. Copper and steel were used as substrates. Annealing was conducted at two different temperatures: 920 C for the copper substrate samples and 1120 C for the steel substrate samples. These temperatures were chosen to correspond to 90% of the melting point of the component with the lowest melting temperature. The phase composition of the HEA powders after mechanical alloying and of the final coatings was analyzed. Mechanical properties were assessed through nanoindentation, and the different stages of the coating production process were studied using SEM and EDS. Coatings up to 100 µm thick, with FCC crystal structure, were successfull produced, exhibiting excellent adhesion to the substrate and a hardness of up to 6.25 GPa.