Dual-phase high entropy alloys have recently attracted widespread attention as advanced structural materials due to their unique microstructure, excellent mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance. However, their molten salt corrosion behavior has not been reported, which is critical in evaluating their application merit in the areas of concentrating solar power and nuclear energy. Here, the molten salt corrosion behavior of AlCoCrFeNi2.1 eutectic high-entropy alloy (EHEA) was evaluated in molten NaCl-KCl-MgCl2 salt at 450 °C and 650 °C in comparison to conventional duplex stainless steel 2205 (DS2205). The EHEA showed a significantly lower corrosion rate of ~1 mm/year at 450 °C compared to ~8 mm/year for DS2205. Similarly, EHEA showed a lower corrosion rate of ~9 mm/year at 650 °C compared to ~20 mm/year for DS2205. There was selective dissolution of the body-centered cubic phase in both the alloys, B2 in AlCoCrFeNi2.1 and α-Ferrite in DS2205. This was attributed to micro-galvanic coupling between the two phases in each alloy that was measured in terms of Volta potential difference using a scanning kelvin probe. Additionally, the work function increased with increasing temperature for AlCoCrFeNi2.1, indicating that the FCC-L12 phase acted as a barrier against further oxidation and protected the underlying BCC-B2 phase with enrichment of noble elements in the protective surface layer.
Keywords: dual-phase alloy; galvanic corrosion; high entropy alloy; molten salt corrosion; scanning kelvin probe (SKP); work function.