Estimation of the oxidation and hydrogen absorption behavior during simulated accidental condition of Zircaloy-4 with Cr coating formed by electrochemical plating

An accident tolerant fuel (ATF) cladding, which is more resistant to accidents than the conventional Zircaloy cladding, is under development. One of these claddings is a chromium (Cr)-coated cladding with an outer surface coated with Cr, which is expected to improve the resistance to high-temperature steam oxidation. In this study, electrochemical plating was applied to coat a Cr layer on the cladding outer surface, and its properties under accidental conditions were evaluated. In a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA), the cladding will burst and both the outer and inner surfaces of the cladding will be oxidized. Thus, as-received Zircaloy-4 and Cr-coated claddings were tested for oxidation in high-temperature steam to investigate differences in oxidation behavior, hydrogen absorption behavior, and mechanical properties after oxidation. Oxidation tests were conducted using a thermobalance. The amount of oxidation of coated samples decreased by half compared with that of uncoated samples, indicating that the coating was effective in inhibiting oxidation. However, the hydrogen absorption of coated samples was found to be higher than that of uncoated samples. In this paper, we discuss the mechanism behind this difference in hydrogen absorption and its effect on mechanical properties.