Oxidation behavior of CrSi coatings on Zry-4 substrates in 1200°C steam environment

In this study, the compact and uniform CrSi (Cr0.92Si0.08, Cr0.85Si0.15, Cr0.65Si0.35) coatings have been deposited on zircaloy-4 substrates by magnetron sputtering technique, and their oxidation performances in steam environment have been investigated at 1200°C for 60 min. Microstructures and phase compositions of coatings before and after oxidation indicate that CrSi coatings exhibit protective behavior. The dense Cr2O3 oxide layer on CrSi coatings can significantly improve the oxidation resistance, and their weight gains are reduced. The Cr0.92Si0.08 coating shows the optimum performance due to the integrality and protectiveness of the Cr2O3 oxide layer.