| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2025 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Materials and Chemistry for Molten Salt Systems
|
| Presentation Title |
Molten Salt Electrodeposition of Zirconium on Uranium Nitride |
| Author(s) |
Jarom L. Chamberlain, Hannah Patenaude, Rami Batrice, Tim Coons, Marisa Monreal |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Jarom L. Chamberlain |
| Abstract Scope |
Uranium nitride is a strong candidate fuel for nuclear reactors and nuclear thermal rockets. These UN fuels are subjected to multiple cycles of high-temperature operation. To improve their stability and containment during operation, a protective refractory metal coating can be deposited onto the UN. This work presents a method for electrodepositing a hermetic zirconium metal coating onto a UN substrate. Electrodeposition was conducted in a molten fluoride salt system oriented as an electrochemical cell. A controlled current program was applied to reduce zirconium fluoride to zirconium metal onto the UN when electrically connected as a working electrode. Post-deposition characterization of the substrate included scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) to evaluate the adhesion, estimate the average thickness, and verify the composition of the deposited layer. The electrochemical cell setup, current density profile, and next steps are also presented. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Electrometallurgy, Nuclear Materials, Pyrometallurgy |