| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2025 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Microstructural, Mechanical, and Chemical Behavior of Solid Nuclear Fuel and Fuel-Cladding Interface II
|
| Presentation Title |
Evolution of Sputtered Protective Bilayer Coatings Under LOCA Steam Exposure |
| Author(s) |
Brock Nowak, Fei Long, Kevin Daub, Suraj Y Persaud, Zhongwen Yao |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Brock Nowak |
| Abstract Scope |
Chromium-coated zircaloy claddings are a near-term accident tolerant fuel (ATF) technology under development for enhanced oxidation resistance of fuel cladding in steam environments produced under loss of coolant (LOCA) and/or reactivity-initiated accidents (RIAs). Bilayer coatings fabricated via magnetron sputtering were applied to zircaloy-2 substrates with variation in (i) bias voltage (-45 V to -80 V), and (ii) base layer composition (pure Cr, CrN). Samples were then split into two groups for annealing or oxidation tests. Annealing tests were performed in argon gas at 800 °C for 4 hours to observe the effect on residual stress and interdiffusion layer formation. Oxidation tests were performed in high-temperature steam at 1200 °C (atmospheric pressure) for 15-, 120-, and 240-minute durations. Evolution of the film microstructure, oxide scale, and coating/Zr interface were characterized using electron microscopy (SEM/TEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and nanoindentation. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Nuclear Materials, Thin Films and Interfaces, Surface Modification and Coatings |