Influence Of The Fabrication Process On The Corrosion Behavior Of Two High Entropy Alloys In Molten Solar Salt

High-entropy alloys are characterized by their high stability at elevated temperatures, making them a promising alloy family for extreme environments. One field where this characteristic is attractive is in concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) technology, specifically in plants than employ molten salts (solar salt: 40% KNO3/60% NaNO3) as a thermal storage medium. This study examines the feasibility of using HEAs in components exposed to solar salt, including an original Co-free composition, FeCrMoAlTiNi, and another eutectic composition, AlFeCrCoNi. HEAs were produced using Arc Melting and Powder Metallurgy techniques. The latter processing route was chosen to achieve greater microstructural control, using rapid and ultra-rapid field-assisted sintering methods, such as thermomechanical sintering, Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS), and Electrical Resistance Sintering (ERS). The study results demonstrate improved corrosion resistance over the reference material and offer insights into the microstructural effects of processing routes and their possible relationship with behavior in the presence of molten salts.