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<p>The 2011 Fukushima accident exposed critical safety limitations in conventional UO<sub>2</sub>–Zr fuel systems, accelerating the development of accident-tolerant fuel (ATF) technologies. Chromium coatings on zirconium alloy cladding emerge as the most promising near-term solution, offering superior high-temperature oxidation resistance through protective Cr<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> scale formation effective up to 1200&#xa0;°C. However, critical challenges remain from Cr–Zr interdiffusion above the 1332&#xa0;°C eutectic temperature, driving the development of advanced diffusion barriers including ceramic systems (ZrO<sub>2</sub>, CrN), metallic interlayers (Mo, Nb, Ta, W), and multilayer architectures. Systematic evaluation reveals material-specific trade-offs: ceramic barriers (ZrO<sub>2</sub>, CrN) demonstrate effectiveness up to 1200–1300&#xa0;°C but encounter dissolution and phase transformation limitations; refractory metal barriers exhibit temperature-dependent performance, with Mo systems effective to 1300–1400&#xa0;°C, Ta barriers to 1400–1500&#xa0;°C approaching benchmark performance, and W-based systems exceeding 1500&#xa0;°C; composite FeCrAl architectures provide intermediate capability (1200–1350&#xa0;°C) with enhanced oxidation resistance but face thermal expansion mismatch challenges and require enhancement beyond 1000&#xa0;°C. Future priorities include mechanistic lifetime modeling, in situ characterization, and processing standardization to enable commercial deployment with quantified safety margins.</p>

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Chromium-based coatings and diffusion barriers for accident-tolerant fuel applications

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月13日

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  • Hailing Song,
  • Zhen Ma,
  • Peng Song,
  • Qing Li

摘要

The 2011 Fukushima accident exposed critical safety limitations in conventional UO2–Zr fuel systems, accelerating the development of accident-tolerant fuel (ATF) technologies. Chromium coatings on zirconium alloy cladding emerge as the most promising near-term solution, offering superior high-temperature oxidation resistance through protective Cr2O3 scale formation effective up to 1200 °C. However, critical challenges remain from Cr–Zr interdiffusion above the 1332 °C eutectic temperature, driving the development of advanced diffusion barriers including ceramic systems (ZrO2, CrN), metallic interlayers (Mo, Nb, Ta, W), and multilayer architectures. Systematic evaluation reveals material-specific trade-offs: ceramic barriers (ZrO2, CrN) demonstrate effectiveness up to 1200–1300 °C but encounter dissolution and phase transformation limitations; refractory metal barriers exhibit temperature-dependent performance, with Mo systems effective to 1300–1400 °C, Ta barriers to 1400–1500 °C approaching benchmark performance, and W-based systems exceeding 1500 °C; composite FeCrAl architectures provide intermediate capability (1200–1350 °C) with enhanced oxidation resistance but face thermal expansion mismatch challenges and require enhancement beyond 1000 °C. Future priorities include mechanistic lifetime modeling, in situ characterization, and processing standardization to enable commercial deployment with quantified safety margins.