Preparation and characterization of AlCrCuFeMoNix high-entropy alloy coatings for accident-tolerance fuel cladding

IF 3.2 2区工程技术 Q3 MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Journal of Nuclear Materials Pub Date : 2025-08-13 DOI:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2025.156104

Julianti Eva , Yayan Zhu , Ruida Jiang , Yanwei Zhang , Rui Lan

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Abstract

The investigation of high entropy alloy (HEA) coatings as a promising material for application in nuclear fuel cladding has been motivated due to their exceptional mechanical and functional properties. This study aims to fabricate AlCrCuFeMoNi_x (x=0.5, 1.2, 1.8 and 2.3) HEA coatings to enhance the accident tolerance of nuclear fuel cladding through magnetron sputtering on zirconium alloy substrates. The mechanical properties of the coatings, as well as their resistance to high temperature steam oxidation and high-pressure pure water corrosion, were investigated. It was found that the coating with x = 0.5 exhibited optimal hardness and Young’s modulus of 8.57 GPa and 170.75 GPa respectively. After subjecting the coated samples to high-temperature and high-pressure pure water corrosion for 3 days, it was observed that aluminum within the coating formed dense spinel NiAl₂O₄ which effectively inhibits oxygen diffusion, thereby enhancing the corrosion resistance of the coatings. In terms of accident-tolerance performance in reactor environments at temperatures above 1200 °C, it was found that when x = 1.8, dense Al₂O₃ and oxide featuring a spinel structure generated on the coating surface which significantly reduced the diffusion rate of oxygen ions during high-temperature steam oxidation. The oxidative weight gain of the coated samples was decreased by 70.41 % compared to the uncoated zirconium alloy, demonstrating excellent accident tolerance properties.

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耐事故燃料包覆用AlCrCuFeMoNix高熵合金涂层的制备与表征

高熵合金（HEA）涂层由于其优异的力学性能和功能性能而成为一种很有前景的核燃料包壳材料。本研究旨在通过磁控溅射在锆合金基体上制备AlCrCuFeMoNix (x=0.5, 1.2, 1.8和2.3)HEA涂层，以提高核燃料包壳的事故容错能力。研究了涂层的力学性能、耐高温蒸汽氧化和高压纯水腐蚀性能。结果表明，当x = 0.5时，涂层的硬度和杨氏模量分别为8.57 GPa和170.75 GPa。对涂层样品进行高温高压纯水腐蚀3天后，涂层内的铝形成致密尖晶石状NiAl2O4，有效地抑制了氧的扩散，从而提高了涂层的耐蚀性。在1200℃以上反应器环境下的耐事故性能方面，发现当x = 1.8时，涂层表面产生致密的Al2O3和尖晶石结构的氧化物，显著降低了高温蒸汽氧化过程中氧离子的扩散速率。与未包覆的锆合金相比，包覆后的氧化增重降低了70.41%，表现出优异的耐意外性能。

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来源期刊

Journal of Nuclear Materials 工程技术-材料科学：综合

CiteScore

5.70

自引率

25.80%

发文量

601

审稿时长

63 days

期刊介绍： The Journal of Nuclear Materials publishes high quality papers in materials research for nuclear applications, primarily fission reactors, fusion reactors, and similar environments including radiation areas of charged particle accelerators. Both original research and critical review papers covering experimental, theoretical, and computational aspects of either fundamental or applied nature are welcome. The breadth of the field is such that a wide range of processes and properties in the field of materials science and engineering is of interest to the readership, spanning atom-scale processes, microstructures, thermodynamics, mechanical properties, physical properties, and corrosion, for example. Topics covered by JNM Fission reactor materials, including fuels, cladding, core structures, pressure vessels, coolant interactions with materials, moderator and control components, fission product behavior. Materials aspects of the entire fuel cycle. Materials aspects of the actinides and their compounds. Performance of nuclear waste materials; materials aspects of the immobilization of wastes. Fusion reactor materials, including first walls, blankets, insulators and magnets. Neutron and charged particle radiation effects in materials, including defects, transmutations, microstructures, phase changes and macroscopic properties. Interaction of plasmas, ion beams, electron beams and electromagnetic radiation with materials relevant to nuclear systems.