Unveiling synergistic tribo-corrosion mechanisms in Ti-rich refractory high-entropy alloys for extreme aluminum processing environments

Journal article, 2026

Owing to the extreme corrosivity of molten aluminum, this study systematically elucidates the tribo-corrosion behavior of three titanium-rich refractory high-entropy alloys (RHEAs) in molten aluminum—Ti38Nb32Cr14Mo8Al8, Ti42Nb32Cr14Mo4Al8, and Ti46Nb30Cr16Mo4Al4. Remarkably, these RHEAs exhibit exceptional tribo-corrosion resistance, surpassing conventional benchmarks. This superior performance stems from a dual mechanism: suppressed reactivity with molten aluminum coupled with the high hardness of the resultant corrosion products. Crucially, the failure mechanism under tribo-corrosion conditions is governed by a synergistic corrosion-wear interplay, wherein molten aluminum corrodes the RHEA matrix, while wear-induced detachment occurs at the corrosion product interface. These findings not only unveil fundamental mechanisms driving tribo-corrosion resistance but also provide transformative insights for designing next-generation materials tailored to harsh environments in the aluminum processing industry.