Interface reactions and mechanical properties of FeCrAl-coated Zircaloy-4

Journal Article · Thu Mar 07 00:00:00 EST 2019 · Journal of Nuclear Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2019.03.004· OSTI ID:1501812

Gigax, Jonathan Gregory  ^[1]; Kennas, Miltiadas ^[2]; Kim, Hyosim ^[2]; Maier, Benjamin R. ^[3]; Yeom, Hwasung ^[3]; Johnson, Greg O. ^[3]; Sridharan, Kumar ^[3]; Shao, Lin ^[2]

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1. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
2. Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States)
3. Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)

FeCrAl has been proposed as a coating layer to enhance accident tolerance of Zircaloy-4 fuel cladding. In this study, we systematically examined the diffusion kinetics and interface compound formation of the spray-coated FeCrAl and Zircaloy-4 substrate. After vacuum annealing at 923 K, 963 K, and 998 K for various time periods, a mixed Zr₂Fe phase and Zr₃Fe formed at the interface. The formation energies of these two phases were found to be 65 kJ/mol and 58 kJ/mol for Zr₂Fe and Zr₃Fe, respectively. Bending tests of cantilevers prepared by a focused ion beam technique showed good interface bonding between the coating layer and the substrate. Nanoindentation and micropillar compression tests in the cross-section of polished samples show different mechanical responses of each phase. The substrate exhibited the lowest hardness and most ductile deformation under compression, while interfacial Zr₂Fe and Zr₃Fe possessed the highest hardness and brittle deformation.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
• Grant/Contract Number: 89233218CNA000001
• OSTI ID: 1501812
• Alternate ID(s): OSTI ID: 1776013
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-18-28588
• Journal Information: Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 519; ISSN 0022-3115
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE