Nuclear reactor cladding enhancement via DES electrodeposition: Electrochemical kinetics and surface architecture of Cr-coated Zr-4 claddings

• A novel electro deposition process was used to construct Cr-coated Zr-4 claddings. • Ethaline in CrCl 3 ·6H 2 O used as the electrolyte bath solution. • Electrochemical kinetics and growth mechanism of Cr-coated Zr were elaborated. • The maximum thickness of 515 nm was achieved. • Excellent mechanical integrity was recorded for the 100 cycles coated substrate. After the Fukushima-Daiichi incident, the emergence of accident-tolerant fuel (ATF) cladding materials became essential; henceforth, numerous research studies have been conducted, especially by AREVA NP and DOE, USA, and CEA & ED, France. Zr-based ATF claddings are real-time solutions due to their advantageous built-in characteristics. In the recent era, chromium-coated Zr-claddings have been developed to improve further neutron economy and the cladding resistance under accidental scenarios. This work uses deep eutectic solvents (DES) to electroplate eco-friendly and efficient Cr coatings over Zr-4 alloy, utilizing Cr(III)/DES electrolyte. Since the growth mechanism and kinetics of the Cr-coating on Zr-alloy are not well established, this work provides a detailed discussion of the electrochemical kinetics and growth mechanism involved in forming Cr over Zr-4 alloys. Surface engineering of the as-coated samples was studied through various spectroscopic techniques. The initial experimental findings suggest their potential as ATF cladding materials in LWRs to enhance safety and reliability.