A multilayer solar absorber coating based on NbMoTaW refractory high entropy alloy: optical properties, thermal stability, and failure mechanism

Abstract

Abstract The newly increasing development of abruptly high entropy alloy nitride (HEAN), especially the refractory HEAN, manifests excellent mechanical, corrosion resistance, and optical properties, which exhibits a wide application prospect in the field of coatings. Herein, we develop a high entropy nitride NbMoTaWN-based solar selective absorber coatings (SSACs), providing a potential to strengthen structural and optical advance through component selection and structure design. The coating exhibits a high solar absorptance (α) of 0.936 and a low thermal emittance (e) of 0.126 at 82 °C. Investigation on structural and optical robustness demonstrates that the NbMoTaW HEAN-based SSAC could endure heat treatment at 500 °C for 10 h in vacuum environment. In addition, through the evolution of XRD and Raman spectra after annealing, the failure mechanism of coatings annealed in vacuum at 500 °C for 10 h and 400 °C in air for 5 h are obtained. Obviously, the advantages such as low-cost preparation, easily scalable production, convenient technology process, and repeatability in this work promise potentially valuable applications for photothermal conversion techniques.