Enhancement of Surface Oxidation Resistance in 1200℃ Steam of Zr-Alloy with Cr/TiAlN Coating

Zr-4 alloy surfaces were modified with the Cr/TiAlN composite coatings synthesized by multi-arc ion plating (MAIP).The influence of the growth conditions of Cr/TiAlN coating on the surface oxidation resistance in 1200℃ steam, microstructures and interfacial adhesion was investigated with X-ray diffraction scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and conventional mechanical tools.The preliminary results show that the compact uniform Cr/TiAlN coatings significantly increased the steam oxidation resistance.To be specific, the Cr/TiAlN coatings, deposited under the optimized conditions, decreased the oxidation weight per unit-area of Zr-4 alloy to 36% in spite of some micro-pores and condensed large particles on the surfaces.In addition, the interface adhesion was estimated to be 26 N and no peeling-off was observed.