Study of amorphous alumina coatings for next-generation nuclear reactors: hightemperature in-situ and post-mortem Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction

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Hauptverfasser: Gaweda, Magdalena, Jelen, Piotr, Zaborowska, Agata, Diduszko, Ryszard, Kurpaska, Lukasz
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2025
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author Gaweda, Magdalena
Jelen, Piotr
Zaborowska, Agata
Diduszko, Ryszard
Kurpaska, Lukasz
author_facet Gaweda, Magdalena
Jelen, Piotr
Zaborowska, Agata
Diduszko, Ryszard
Kurpaska, Lukasz
contents The present work focuses on the investigation of the thermal stability and structural integrity of amorphous alumina coatings intended for use as protective coatings on cladding tubes in Generation IV nuclear reactors, specifically in the Lead-cooled Fast Reactor (LFR) type. Hightemperature Raman spectroscopy and high-temperature X-ray diffraction analyses were carried out up to 1050 C on a 5 um coating deposited by the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique on a 316L steel substrate. The experiments involved the in-situ examination of structural changes in the material under increasing temperature, along with ex-situ Raman imaging of the surface and cross-section of the coating after thermal treatments of different lengths. As it was expected, the presence of alpha-alumina was detected with the addition of other polymorphs, gamma- and theta-Al2O3, found in the material after longer high-temperature exposure. The use of two structural analysis methods and two lasers excitation wavelengths with Raman spectroscopy allowed us to detect all the mentioned phases despite different mode activity. Alumina analysis was based on the emission spectra, while substrate oxidation products were identified through the structural bands. The experiments depicted a dependence of the phase composition of oxidation products and alumina's degree of crystallization on the length of the treatment. Nevertheless, the observed structural changes did not occur rapidly, and the coating's integrity remained intact. Moreover, oxidation signs occurred locally at temperatures exceeding the LFR reactor's working temperature, confirming the material's great potential as a protective coating in the operational conditions of LFR nuclear reactors.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2502_12612
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Study of amorphous alumina coatings for next-generation nuclear reactors: hightemperature in-situ and post-mortem Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction
Gaweda, Magdalena
Jelen, Piotr
Zaborowska, Agata
Diduszko, Ryszard
Kurpaska, Lukasz
Materials Science
The present work focuses on the investigation of the thermal stability and structural integrity of amorphous alumina coatings intended for use as protective coatings on cladding tubes in Generation IV nuclear reactors, specifically in the Lead-cooled Fast Reactor (LFR) type. Hightemperature Raman spectroscopy and high-temperature X-ray diffraction analyses were carried out up to 1050 C on a 5 um coating deposited by the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique on a 316L steel substrate. The experiments involved the in-situ examination of structural changes in the material under increasing temperature, along with ex-situ Raman imaging of the surface and cross-section of the coating after thermal treatments of different lengths. As it was expected, the presence of alpha-alumina was detected with the addition of other polymorphs, gamma- and theta-Al2O3, found in the material after longer high-temperature exposure. The use of two structural analysis methods and two lasers excitation wavelengths with Raman spectroscopy allowed us to detect all the mentioned phases despite different mode activity. Alumina analysis was based on the emission spectra, while substrate oxidation products were identified through the structural bands. The experiments depicted a dependence of the phase composition of oxidation products and alumina's degree of crystallization on the length of the treatment. Nevertheless, the observed structural changes did not occur rapidly, and the coating's integrity remained intact. Moreover, oxidation signs occurred locally at temperatures exceeding the LFR reactor's working temperature, confirming the material's great potential as a protective coating in the operational conditions of LFR nuclear reactors.
title Study of amorphous alumina coatings for next-generation nuclear reactors: hightemperature in-situ and post-mortem Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction
topic Materials Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.12612