Adhesion property and high-temperature oxidation behavior of Cr-coated Zircaloy-4 cladding tube prepared by 3D laser coating

A 3D laser coating technology using Cr powder was developed for Zr-based alloys considering parameters such as: the laser beam power, inert gas flow, cooling of Zr-based alloys, and Cr powder control. This technology was then applied to Zr cladding tube samples to study the effect of Cr coating on the high-temperature oxidation of Zr-based alloys in a steam environment of 1200 °C for 2000s. It was revealed that the oxide layer thickness formed on the Cr-coated tube surface was about 25-times lower than that formed on a Zircaloy-4 tube surface. In addition, both the ring compression and the tensile tests were performed to evaluate the adhesion properties of the Cr-coated sample. Although some cracks were formed on the Cr-coated layer, the Cr-coated layer had not peeled off after the two tests.