Corrosion Behavior of Al(x)(CrFeNi)(1−x) HEA under Simulated PWR Primary Water

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) have great potential as accident-tolerant fuel (ATF) cladding. Aluminum-forming duplex (BCC and FCC) stainless-steel (ADSS) is a candidate for ATF cladding, but the multiphase composition is detrimental to its corrosion resistance. In this paper, two single-phase HEAs were prepared by adjusting the content of each element in the ADSS alloy. The two HEAs were designed as Al(0.05)(CrFeNi)(0.95)(FCC) and Al(0.25)(FeCrNi)(0.75)(BCC). Their corrosion behavior under simulated pressurized water reactor (PWR) primary water was investigated. The corrosion products and corrosion mechanisms of these two HEAs were explored. The results show that the corrosion resistance of HEA alloys containing FCC is better than that of BCC and ADSS alloys. At the same time, the reason why the BCC structure composed of these four elements is not resistant to corrosion is revealed.