Unveiling the Corrosion Mechanism of the Ni x Se y Intermetallic Compound in Water-Based Solution

In this study, Ni–Se intermetallic compound coatings were fabricated using electrodeposition at various process temperatures (40–70 °C). The results show that increasing the process temperature promotes the deposition of Se, which leads to a transition in the crystal phase of the samples from the Ni0.85Se phase, prepared under low-temperature conditions, to a NiSe2 phase. The dissolution rate of Se in pure water from Ni–Se coatings is inversely related to the incorporated Se content, which indicates that the Ni0.85Se phase has a higher natural corrosion rate compared to the NiSe2 phase. Under the influence of an electric field, the corrosion behavior of Ni–Se coatings is dominated by a two-stage reaction involving Se transformation and dissolution. Coatings with a predominant Ni0.85Se phase exhibit more severe corrosion behavior compared to those with a predominant NiSe2 phase, which suggests that the corrosion reaction is enhanced by the electric field. However, because coatings with a predominant NiSe2 phase contain a higher proportion of Se2 2– ions, the dissolution reaction of SeO x , generated during the electrochemical reaction, is retarded, thereby inhibiting the progression of the corrosion reaction. Consequently, coatings with a predominant NiSe2 phase exhibit relatively better corrosion resistance in a water-based electrolyte.