Multilayer and high-entropy alloy-based protective coatings for solving the issue of critical raw materials in the aerospace industry

Aerospace is an actively developing industry that continuously requires the implementation of modern technologies. The rapid growth in new vehicle production demands much support. Hence, the problem of resources with complicated supply and distribution is always of current interest. These critical raw materials (CRMs) are involved in almost all areas of aerospace manufacturing and service. An efficient and profitable solution to the problem of critical materials can be found in protective coatings, especially in such advanced concepts as multilayer and high-entropy alloy (HEA)-based coatings. In this paper, we study both ways of manufacturing effective coatings. We have shown that multilayer CrN/MoN coatings with exceptional toughness and hardness could find promising applications in the aerospace industry. The developed strategy for the novel materials screening based on the prediction of their properties has been demonstrated on the example of the refractory HEA-based coatings. A brief state of the art of the EU critical raw materials and their place in the aerospace/defence industry has been given.The study has been partially supported and funded by the Ukrainian state budget via the project “Improved Physical and Mechanical Properties of Multilayer Protective Coatings Based on High Entropy Alloy Nitrides” (project № 0120U100475