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Preliminary characterization and projections of PVD coatings on SiC cladding for Light Water Reactors...

by Caen K Ang, David Carpenter, Kurt A Terrani, Yutai Kato
Publication Type
Conference Paper
Journal Name
The American Ceramic Society’s Engineering Ceramics Division
Book Title
Proceedings of the 42nd International Conference on Advanced Ceramics and Composites: Ceramic Engineering and Science Proceedings Volume 39, Issue 3
Publication Date
Page Numbers
117 to 134
Volume
39
Issue
Issue 3
Publisher Location
United States of America
Conference Name
42nd International Conference on Advanced Ceramics and Composites (ICACC 2018)
Conference Location
Daytona beach, Florida, United States of America
Conference Sponsor
The American Ceramic Society
Conference Date
-
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Abstract

Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) based CrN, Cr and TiN are currently the leading mitigation coatings for SiC‐based Light Water Reactor (LWR) fuel cladding. This manuscript describes the morphology, phase analysis and elemental composition of coatings deposited by commercial vendors on SiC clad materials. The coatings showed continuous crack‐free morphology with few microstructural flaws. X‐ray analysis and spectroscopy indicated high purity >99.9%. Mechanical tests of coating debonding (by ASTM D4541) and scratch‐indentation (by ASTM E2546) were conducted. Strong interface bonding was observed and higher resistance to normal and shear stresses was observed from thicker coatings. Preliminary developments in scratch testing, phase analysis, future needs and expected behavior under irradiation are discussed.