Microstructural, mechanical properties and high temperature oxidation of Cr, Al-coated Zr-4 alloy

Jinghao Huang; Shuliang Zou; Weiwei Xiao; Xiaoshuang Liu; Huiqin Chen; Dewen Tang; Hua Deng; Xi Zhou; Ming Lei

Nuclear Materials and Energy (Dec 2020)

Microstructural, mechanical properties and high temperature oxidation of Cr, Al-coated Zr-4 alloy

Jinghao Huang,
Shuliang Zou,
Weiwei Xiao,
Xiaoshuang Liu,
Huiqin Chen,
Dewen Tang,
Hua Deng,
Xi Zhou,
Ming Lei

Affiliations

Jinghao Huang: School of Resource Environment and Safety Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China; Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Emergency Safety Technology and Equipment for Nuclear Facilities, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
Shuliang Zou: School of Resource Environment and Safety Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China; Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Emergency Safety Technology and Equipment for Nuclear Facilities, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
Weiwei Xiao: Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Emergency Safety Technology and Equipment for Nuclear Facilities, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China; School of Mechanical Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China; Corresponding author at: Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Emergency Safety Technology and Equipment for Nuclear Facilities, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China.
Xiaoshuang Liu: Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Emergency Safety Technology and Equipment for Nuclear Facilities, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China; School of Mechanical Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
Huiqin Chen: Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Emergency Safety Technology and Equipment for Nuclear Facilities, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China; School of Mechanical Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
Dewen Tang: Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Emergency Safety Technology and Equipment for Nuclear Facilities, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China; School of Mechanical Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
Hua Deng: CNNC Jianzhong Nuclear Fuel Corporation, Yibin, Sichuan 644000, China
Xi Zhou: CNNC Jianzhong Nuclear Fuel Corporation, Yibin, Sichuan 644000, China
Ming Lei: CNNC Jianzhong Nuclear Fuel Corporation, Yibin, Sichuan 644000, China

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 25
p. 100810

Abstract

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Cr and Al coating were respectively deposited on Zr-4 alloy by magnetron sputtering and high temperature oxidation (HTO) tests were conducted in air environment at 1200 °C for 3 h for Cr-coated and Al-coated specimens. The morphology and phase composition of the specimens were detected by SEM, EDS and XRD. The adhesion properties were characterized by scratch test. The XRD results revealed that the two coatings were crystalline with preferred orientation. The results of scratch testing showed that critical load of Cr coating was higher than that of Al coating. After HTO test, the Cr-coated specimen was intact without cracking and spalling off, only the outermost layer of Cr coating was oxidized to a Cr2O3 layer of about 4 μm thick with a residual Cr layer of about 4 μm thick, and the internal zirconium alloy was not oxidized. For Al-coated specimen, besides the complete oxidation of the Al coating, there were also about 500 μm Zr-4 alloy oxidized on each side, and there were a lot of voids and cracks in the specimen. The EDS results indicated that a thickness of about 5 μm Cr-Zr diffusion layer developed at the interface between Cr coating and Zr-4 alloy for the Cr-coated Zr-4 specimen. While, for the Al-coated Zr-4 specimen, Al diffused into the specimen to a depth of about 100 μm, and Zr diffused almost to the outermost layer. Moreover, Sn in the Zr-4 alloy is concentrated at the interface between the residual Zr-4 alloy and ZrO2 layer. The obtained results manifested that Cr coating shows better oxidation resistance than Al coating.

Published in Nuclear Materials and Energy

ISSN: 2352-1791 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Technology: Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering: Nuclear engineering. Atomic power
Website: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/nuclear-materials-and-energy/

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