The Study of Oxidation and H uptake in Cr-Coated Zr Alloys in Enhanced Accident Tolerant PWR Fuels

This presentation outlines PhD research investigating oxidation behaviour and hydrogen uptake in chromium-coated zirconium alloys for accident tolerant fuel applications in pressurised water reactors (PWRs). The project aims to determine whether chromium coatings reduce hydrogen pickup relative to uncoated zirconium alloys, investigate the impact of coating defects such as cracks and delamination, and assess the influence of physical vapour deposition parameters on coating performance. The work includes corrosion testing in PWR water chemistry, NanoSIMS analysis of deuterium migration, SEM and STEM characterisation of coating degradation, and studies of oxygen and zirconium diffusion under both normal operating and elevated temperature conditions. Future work includes analysis of long-term corrosion datasets, oxygen transport between chromium grains, and oxidation behaviour of scratched chromium-coated cladding systems.