With multiple principal components, high entropy alloys (HEAs) have aroused great interest due to their unique microstructures and outstanding properties. Recently, the corrosion behavior of HEAs has become a scientific hotspot in the area of material science and engineering, and HEAs can exhibit good protection against corrosive environments. A comprehensive understanding of the corrosion mechanism of HEAs is important for further design of HEAs with better performance. This paper reviews the corrosion properties and mechanisms of HEAs (mainly Cantor alloy and its variants) in various environments. More crucially, this paper is focused on the influences of composition and microstructure on the evolution of the corrosion process, especially passive film stability and localized corrosion resistance. The corrosion behavior of HEAs as structural materials in nuclear industry applications is emphasized. Finally, based on this review, the possible perspectives for scientific research and engineering applications of HEAs are proposed.

The effects of solution concentration and temperature on the electrochemical behavior of the Fe-based amorphous (AMCs) coatings in NaCl solution were studied by using conventional electrochemical measurement and XPS analysis. Results indicated that as solution concentration and temperature increased, the current density for the Fe-based AMCs increased and the pitting potential decreased. This reduced corrosion resistance was derived from the decreased passivation index and polarization resistance, which contributed to the decrease of the induction time (t_m) for the initiation of corrosion pit. The passive films formed on Fe-based AMCs exhibit two types’ semiconductors higher and lower the flat band potential. The decrease of protectiveness of the passive film was mainly correlated with the reduction of Cr₂O₃ content, the increase of carrier density and the decrease of the work function (W_F).