Corrosion studies on multicomponent CoCrFeMnNi(C) thin films in acidic environments

The corrosion resistances of near equimolar CoCrFeMnNi magnetron-sputtered thin films with different carbon concentrations were examined in 0.05 M HCl and 0.05 M H2SO4. Polarization curves were recorded with different scan rates with and without reducing the native oxide. The results showed that the carbon concentration and the experimental conditions affected the electrochemical behaviour mainly in the Cr transpassive region. At potentials above 850 mV, the carbon-containing films were more corrosion resistant in 0.05 M HCl than in 0.05 M H2SO4 due to a lower carbon oxidation rate in 0.05 M HCl, facilitating the formation of a Mn-rich oxide layer. (C)& nbsp;2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.& nbsp;