Boron-lithium Water Corrosion Characteristics and Tribological Properties of CrAIX (X=Nb, Mo) Coatings on Zirconium Alloy Surfaces for Nuclear Applications

doi:10.3901/JME.2025.10.178

Abstract

Abstract: Zirconium alloys are widely used in the nuclear industry, especially for nuclear fuel casing materials, due to their excellent mechanical properties, corrosion resistance and low thermal neutron absorption cross section. However, their wear and corrosion resistance under harsh service conditions still need to be further improved. To this end, in this study, CrAl coatings doped with small amounts of Nb and Mo elements are successfully prepared on the surface of zirconium alloys by laser cladding technology, aiming to improve their surface properties. The microstructure, tribological properties and corrosion resistance in boron and lithium water of the coatings are systematically investigated, and the results show that the three CrAlX coatings consisted of Cr-BCC phase, Zr-rich phase and Al₂Zr-Laves phase, and the doped Nb and Mo effectively suppress the dilution of Zr into the coatings. The microhardness of the CrAlX coatings is significantly higher than that of zirconium alloy substrates. The hardness of the Mo-containing coating is the highest, reaching 916.91 HV_0.5, which is 5.1 times higher than that of the substrate. Tribological tests show that the Mo-containing coatings had the lowest coefficient of friction and wear weight loss, exhibiting the best wear resistance. Electrochemical tests show that the Mo-containing coating had the lowest corrosion current density and the highest densification and pitting resistance of the passivate film.XPS analysis revealed that the incompletely oxidized Cr element in the passivate film of the CrAlX coating may have an effect on its chemical stability. Therefore, this study provides an important theoretical basis and experimental support for the enhancement of the surface properties of zirconium alloys by laser cladding technology, especially for applications in the nuclear industry.

Key words: CrAl coating, laser cladding, zirconium alloy, passivation film, wear resistance, corrosion resistance

CLC Number:

TG174

ZHAO Jiaxin, JIN Guo, CUI Xiufang, LIU Changhao, QI Meng WU Di. Boron-lithium Water Corrosion Characteristics and Tribological Properties of CrAIX (X=Nb, Mo) Coatings on Zirconium Alloy Surfaces for Nuclear Applications[J]. Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 2025, 61(10): 178-190.

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