Effects of elevated temperature exposure on the residual stress state and microstructure of PVD Cr coatings on SiC investigated via in situ X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy

Quillin, Kyle; Yeom, Hwasung; Pu, Xiaofei; Frazer, David; Sasidhar, K. N.; Sridharan, Kumar

doi:10.1016/j.msea.2023.145273

Effects of elevated temperature exposure on the residual stress state and microstructure of PVD Cr coatings on SiC investigated via in situ X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy

Journal Article · Thu Jun 08 00:00:00 EDT 2023 · Materials Science and Engineering. A, Structural Materials: Properties, Microstructure and Processing

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2023.145273· OSTI ID:2228727

^[1]; Yeom, Hwasung ^[2]; ^[3]; Frazer, David ^[3]; ^[1]; Sridharan, Kumar ^[1]

Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)
Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); Pohang Univ. of Science and Technology (POSTECH) (Korea, Republic of)
Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

Pure Cr coatings are being considered as corrosion-resistant layers for SiC-SiC_f composite fuel cladding in light water reactors. The residual stress state and interdiffusion behavior of Cr coatings deposited on SiC substrates using bipolar high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (B-HiPIMS) and direct current impulse magnetron sputtering (DCMS) were studied using in situ X-ray diffraction experiments at 300 °C, 700 °C, and 1200 °C. After elevated temperature exposure, evolution of the coating microstructure and coating/substrate interdiffusion was characterized by transmission electron microscopy. The compressive residual stress of the dense B-HiPIMS coating at room temperature was gradually relieved at 300 °C, while the stress transitioned to a tensile state at 700 °C. Grain growth of the Cr coating and a Cr–SiC interdiffusion layer consisting of newly formed Cr–C and Cr–Si phases were observed in the B-HiPIMS coating after exposure at 700 °C. The phases in the interdiffusion layer were identified to be Cr₇C₃, Cr₃Si, and Cr₅Si₃C_x experimentally and by thermodynamic predictions. For the DCMS coating, however, changes in residual stress and microstructure at the elevated temperatures were limited by the inherent porosity and inhomogeneous structure of the as-deposited coating. At 1200 °C, both coating types interacted rapidly with the underlying SiC substrate in the early stages of the experiment. The results from this study suggest that the characteristics of the Cr coatings do not significantly change at the reactor operating temperature of 300 °C, while changes in microstructure and stress state are expected in off-normal conditions of 700 °C and 1200 °C. Finally the results from this study suggest the B-HiPIMS coating is best-suited as a protective coating for SiC fuel cladding.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC07-05ID14517; NE0008800

OSTI ID:: 2228727

Report Number(s):: INL/JOU-23-71898-Rev000

Journal Information:: Materials Science and Engineering. A, Structural Materials: Properties, Microstructure and Processing, Journal Name: Materials Science and Engineering. A, Structural Materials: Properties, Microstructure and Processing Vol. 879; ISSN 0921-5093

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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