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At least 145 records · Page 8

Environmental Barrier Coatings for Ceramic Matrix Composites - An Overview

Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs) are increasingly being considered as structural materials for advanced power generation equipment. Broadly speaking the two classes of materials are oxide-based CMCs and non-oxide based CMCs. The non-oxide CMCs are primarily silicon-based. Under conditions prevalent in the gas turbine hot section the water vapor formed in the combustion of gaseous or liquid hydrocarbons reacts with the surface-SiO2 to form volatile products. Progressive surface recession of the SiC-SiC CMC component, strength loss as a result of wall thinning and chemical changes in the component occur, which leads to the loss of structural integrity and mechanical strength and becomes life limiting to the equipment in service. The solutions pursued to improve the life of SiC-SiC CMCs include the incorporation of an external barrier coating to provide surface protection to the CMC substrate. The coating system has become known as an Environmental Barrier Coating (EBC). The relevant early coatings work was focused on coatings for corrosion protection of silicon-based monolithic ceramics operating under severely corrosive conditions. The development of EBCs for gas turbine hot section components was built on the early work for silicon-based monolithics. The first generation EBC is a three-layer coating, which in its simplest configuration consists of a silicon (Si) base coat applied on top of the CMC, a barium-strontium-aluminosilicate (BSAS) surface coat resistant to water vapor attack, and a mullite-based intermediate coating layer between the Si base coat and BSAS top coat. This system can be represented as Si-Mullite-BSAS. While this baseline EBC presented a significant improvement over the uncoated SiC-SiC CMC, for the very long durations of 3-4 years or more expected for industrial operation further improvements in coating durability are desirable. Also, for very demanding applications with higher component temperatures but shorter service lives more rugged EBCs will be necessary. A second generation of EBCs incorporates rare earth silicates which have extremely favorable resistance against environmental attack and a higher temperature capability. Performance data for this class of EBCs is more limited and especially field data are not as extensive as for the first generation EBCs. Extensive laboratory, rig and engine testing, including testing of EBC coated SiC-SiC CMCs in actual field applications is in progress. The development of next generation EBCs with even higher temperature capability than the second generation EBC is also underway. This paper will discuss the current status of EBC technology and future direction based on literature survey.

Laboratory↗

Coatings for Oxidation and Hot Corrosion Protection of Disk Alloys

Increasing temperatures in aero gas turbines is resulting in oxidation and hot corrosion attack of turbine disks. Since disks are sensitive to low cycle fatigue (LCF), any environmental attack, and especially hot corrosion pitting, can potentially seriously degrade the life of the disk. Application of metallic coatings are one means of protecting disk alloys from this environmental attack. However, simply the presence of a metallic coating, even without environmental exposure, can degrade the LCF life of a disk alloy. Therefore, coatings must be designed which are not only resistant to oxidation and corrosion attack, but must not significantly degrade the LCF life of the alloy. Three different Ni-Cr coating compositions (29, 35.5, 45wt. Cr) were applied at two thicknesses by Plasma Enhanced Magnetron Sputtering (PEMS) to two similar Ni-based disk alloys. One coating also received a thin ZrO2 overcoat. The coated samples were also given a short oxidation exposure in a low PO2 environment to encourage chromia scale formation. Without further environmental exposure, the LCF life of the coated samples, evaluated at 760C, was less than that of uncoated samples. Hence, application of the coating alone degraded the LCF life of the disk alloy. Since shot peening is commonly employed to improve LCF life, the effect of shot peening the coated and uncoated surface was also evaluated. For all cases, shot peening improved the LCF life of the coated samples. Coated and uncoated samples were shot peened and given environmental exposures consisting of 500 hrs of oxidation followed by 50 hrs of hot corrosion, both at 760C). The high-Cr coating showed the best LCF life after the environmental exposures. Results of the LCF testing and post-test characterization of the various coatings will be presented and future research directions discussed.

LCF life↗

Corrosion of Zinc Cold Spray Coatings in a Wet Sweet and Sour Gas Environment

Internal corrosion is a problem for steel pipelines transporting natural gas or CO 2 containing water and partial pressures of H 2 S higher than 0.3 kPa (0.05 psi). This work aims to mitigate internal corrosion in steel pipelines transporting natural gas containing H 2 S using cold spray coatings. Two types of the cold spray binary metallic coatings (zinc chromium [ZnCr]. zinc niobium [ZnNb]) were studied using electrochemical techniques: potentiodynamic polarization, linear polarization resistance, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The corrosion resistance of cold spray coatings (ZnCr, ZnNb) was evaluated in an environment containing 4 bar CO 2 pressure, simulating the partial pressures found in gas transmission lines over a solution of 3.5 wt% NaCl heated to 40°C. A concentration of 0.003 M Na 2 S 2 O 3 ·5H 2 O, corresponding to H 2 S partial pressures around 0.079 bar (1.146 psi), was used to simulate sour conditions. Postcorrosion surface characterization was performed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with an energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscope (EDS) and x-ray diffraction analysis. The data showed that the presence of 0.003 M Na 2 S 2 O 3 ·5H 2 O shifted the corrosion potential to more anodic values and decreased the corrosion current density. Both coatings showed similar behavior after 1 h of exposure in the CO 2 /H 2 S environment, indicating that similar electrochemical reactions were occurring on ZnNb and ZnCr. SEM images and EDS surface analyses for specimens showed a significant change in the surface chemical composition of carbon steel coated with ZnNb and ZnCr after 24 h of immersion. In the presence of thiosulfate (under sour conditions), the formation of corrosion product layers (ZnCO 3 and ZnS) on top of ZnNb and ZnCr coatings increased their corrosion resistance, which helped to reduce their corrosion by a factor of 2. Under a sweet environment, the corrosion rates for steel coated with cold spray coatings after 14 d of exposure are lower than that for galvanized steel by a factor of 5 due to the ZnCO 3 layer formed on top of the coatings. The ZnCO 3 layer formed on the steel surface acts as a physical barrier against corrosion by blocking the diffusion of corrosive species to the surface. No localized attack was observed. ZnCr Cold spray coating with defect showed promising corrosion protection against CO 2 corrosion (sweet corrosion) after 14 d of exposure to a CO 2 environment. Here, the scratch on the coating simulated damage created in service, and it was deep enough to expose the substrate material (steel). The formation of zinc oxide (ZnO) and zinc carbonate (ZnCO 3 ) on the scratch confirmed the cathodic protection of the steel by ZnCr and ZnNb coatings.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Understanding the effect of organic coatings on 4-nitrostyrene hydrogenation selectivity over Pt/TiO 2 catalysts

The hydrogenation of 4-nitrostyrene was investigated over Pt/TiO 2 catalysts to understand the effects of different catalyst coatings on product selectivity and reaction rates. This reaction is a much-investigated selectivity probe due to difficulty in controlling reactivity between the nitro and vinyl groups of 4-nitrostyrene, with C=C reduction generally being more favorable. 4-Nitrostyrene hydrogenation reactions were carried out in a batch reactor using uncoated, organothiol coated, phosphonic acid (PA) coated, and ion-conducting polymer (ionomer) coated catalysts. Thiols form dense coatings on Pt surfaces, whereas PAs preferentially accumulate on TiO 2 ; ionomer binding preference is unknown for this type of catalyst. The coating densities of the thiols and PAs were varied to observe the effects of loading on catalytic activity and reaction selectivity relative to the uncoated catalyst. Changes in selectivity were observed for catalysts with all coatings, with thiol coatings shifting selectivity towards the nitro reduction product, 4-vinylaniline (4-VA), and both ionomer and PA coatings shifting towards 4-ethylnitrobenzene, the olefin hydrogenation product. It was observed that selectivity toward 4-VA increased with thiol coating density, where 1,2-benzenedithiol (BDT) coated catalysts exhibited a selectivity of >99%. These changes were attributed to the identity of the adsorption sites blocked by the different coatings: blocking of metal sites via thiols decreased the rate of C=C hydrogenation, whereas blocking of TiO 2 sites by PAs decreased the rate of nitro group hydrogenation. The changes observed for ionomer and PA coatings suggested that ionomers, like PAs, bind preferentially to the metal oxide support rather than the active metal. This work provides new support to the proposal that nitro group hydrogenation preferentially occurs on TiO 2 sites after hydrogen spillover and underscores how selection of ligand functionality can be used to tune catalyst selectivity.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Low friction bio-inspired polydopamine/polytetrafluoroethylene coating performance in hydrodynamic bearings

Purpose Low friction polymer coatings able to withstand high loadings and many years of continuous operation are difficult to formulate at low cost, but could find many applications in industry. This study aims to analyze and compare friction and wear performance of novel polydopamine/polytetrafluoroethylene (PDA/PTFE) and traditional tin Babbitt coatings applied to an industrial journal bearing. Design/methodology/approach This paper tested PTFE based coating, co-deposited with PDA, a biopolymer allowing sea mussels to adhere to ocean rocks. This coating was deposited on flat steel substrates and on a curved cast iron hydrodynamic journal bearing surface. The flat substrates were analyzed with a tribometer and an optical microscope, while the coated bearing liners were tested in an industrial laboratory setting at different speeds and different radial loads. Findings PDA/PTFE coating showed 2-3 times lower friction compared to traditional tin Babbitt for flat substrates, but higher friction in the bearing liners. PDA/PTFE also showed considerable wear through coating delamination and abrasion in the bearing liners. Research limitations/implications Five future modifications to mitigate coating flaws are provided, which include modifications to coating thickness and its surface finish. Originality/value While the novel coating showed excellent results on flat substrates, coating performance in a large scale bearing was found to be poor. This study shows that coating preparation needs to be improved to avoid frictional losses and unwanted damage to bearings. We provide several routes that could improve coating performance in industrial applications.

Engineering↗

Reduction of Methane Leaks through Corrosion Mitigation Pre-treatments for Pipelines with Field Applied Coatings

Corrosion of buried, coated steel pipelines transporting natural gas is a significant source of methane emissions, from pipeline venting required for maintenance and repairs and from pipeline leaks and incidents. Corrosion of steel under field applied coatings is an important safety concern for the pipeline industry. This project investigates the application of a field applied alloy over girth welds to mitigate external corrosion of buried coated steel pipelines. Various metallic coating options were considered, which were required to meet several criteria: (1) it must resist corrosion under open-circuit or mild cathodic protection conditions, (2) it must protect the substrate steel, and (3) it must not negatively affect the adhesion of the field coating. Finite element models and lab testing were performed of alloy coating compositions to identify promising alloy types underneath disbonded coatings. Polarization curves of coating alloys were generated to provide the boundary conditions for the COMSOL model to compute potential and current distributions around coated areas. Sacrificial and corrosion-resistant metal alloy coatings were evaluated and optimized using corrosion modeling and laboratory electrochemical testing, where aluminum alloy 5356 (5% Mg) and steel alloy B9 (9% Cr) were selected. Corrosion test coupons were designed and fabricated using thermal spray aluminum 5356 and welded B9 steel overlays on API 5L grade X42 line pipe steel. The corrosion test coupons, with simulated pipe coating damage, were tested in a laboratory soil box and a field pipeline site in Texas for 3-months. Corrosion test coupons were then tested for 6-months at field pipeline sites in Texas and Tennessee to quantify corrosion rates and performance of the aluminum and steel alloys under polyethylene tape and 2-part epoxy coatings, various coating holidays, and with and without cathodic protection.

03 NATURAL GAS↗

Advanced ceramic coating development for industrial/utility gas turbines

A program was conducted with the objective of developing advanced thermal barrier coating (TBC) systems. Coating application was by plasma spray. Duplex, triplex and graded coatings were tested. Coating systems incorporated both NiCrAly and CoCrAly bond coats. Four ceramic overlays were tested: ZrO2.82O3; CaO.TiO2; 2CaO.SiO2; and MgO.Al2O3. The best overall results were obtained with a CaO.TiO2 coating applied to a NiCrAly bond coat. This coating was less sensitive than the ZrO2.8Y2O3 coating to process variables and part geometry. Testing with fuels contaminated with compounds containing sulfur, phosphorus and alkali metals showed the zirconia coatings were destabilized. The calcium titanate coatings were not affected by these contaminants. However, when fuels were used containing 50 ppm of vanadium and 150 ppm of magnesium, heavy deposits were formed on the test specimens and combustor components that required frequent cleaning of the test rig. During the program Mars engine first-stage turbine blades were coated and installed for an engine cyclic endurance run with the zirconia, calcium titanate, and calcium silicate coatings. Heavy spalling developed with the calcium silicate system. The zirconia and calcium titanate systems survived the full test duration. It was concluded that these two TBC's showed potential for application in gas turbines.

Vogan, J. W.↗

Thermal barrier coating life prediction model

This is the first report of the first phase of a 3-year program. Its objectives are to determine the predominant modes of degradation of a plasma sprayed thermal barrier coating system, then to develop and verify life prediction models accounting for these degradation modes. The first task (Task I) is to determine the major failure mechanisms. Presently, bond coat oxidation and bond coat creep are being evaluated as potential TBC failure mechanisms. The baseline TBC system consists of an air plasma sprayed ZrO2-Y2O3 top coat, a low pressure plasma sprayed NiCrAlY bond coat, and a Rene'80 substrate. Pre-exposures in air and argon combined with thermal cycle tests in air and argon are being utilized to evaluate bond coat oxidation as a failure mechanism. Unexpectedly, the specimens pre-exposed in argon failed before the specimens pre-exposed in air in subsequent thermal cycles testing in air. Four bond coats with different creep strengths are being utilized to evaluate the effect of bond coat creep on TBC degradation. These bond coats received an aluminide overcoat prior to application of the top coat to reduce the differences in bond coat oxidation behavior. Thermal cycle testing has been initiated. Methods have been selected for measuring tensile strength, Poisson's ratio, dynamic modulus and coefficient of thermal expansion both of the bond coat and top coat layers.

Hillery, R. V.↗

Thermal barrier coating life prediction model development

This report describes work performed to determine the predominat modes of degradation of a plasma sprayed thermal barrier coating system and to develop and verify life prediction models accounting for these degradation modes. The primary TBC system consisted of a low pressure plasma sprayed NiCrAlY bond coat, an air plasma sprayed ZrO2-Y2O3 top coat, and a Rene' 80 substrate. The work was divided into 3 technical tasks. The primary failure mode to be addressed was loss of the zirconia layer through spalling. Experiments showed that oxidation of the bond coat is a significant contributor to coating failure. It was evident from the test results that the species of oxide scale initially formed on the bond coat plays a role in coating degradation and failure. It was also shown that elevated temperature creep of the bond coat plays a role in coating failure. An empirical model was developed for predicting the test life of specimens with selected coating, specimen, and test condition variations. In the second task, a coating life prediction model was developed based on the data from Task 1 experiments, results from thermomechanical experiments performed as part of Task 2, and finite element analyses of the TBC system during thermal cycles. The third and final task attempted to verify the validity of the model developed in Task 2. This was done by using the model to predict the test lives of several coating variations and specimen geometries, then comparing these predicted lives to experimentally determined test lives. It was found that the model correctly predicts trends, but that additional refinement is needed to accurately predict coating life.

Hillery, R. V.↗

Static measurement of the thickness of the ablative coating of the solid rocket boosters

The Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB's) used to launch the Space Shuttle are coated with a layer of ablative material to prevent thermal damage when they reenter the earth's atmosphere. The coating consists of a mixture of cork, glass, and resin. A new coating (Marshall Convergent Coating, MCC-2) was recently developed that is environmentally complaint. The coating must meet certain minimum thickness standards in order to protect the SRB. The coating is applied by a robot controlled nozzle that moves from the bottom to top, as the rocket part rotates on a table. Several coats are applied, building up to the desired thickness. Inspectors do a limited amount of destructive 'wet' testing. This involves an inspector inserting a rod in the wet coating and removing the rod. This results in a hole that, of course, must be patched later. The material is cured and the thickness is measured. There is no real-time feedback as the coating is being applied. Although this might seem like the best way to control thickness, the problems with 'blowback' (reflected material covering the sensor) are formidable, and have not been solved. After the thermal coating is applied, a protective top coat is applied. The SRB part is then placed in a oven and baked to harden the surface. The operations personnel then measure the thickness of the layer using the Kaman 7200 Displacement Measuring System. The probe is placed on the surface. One person (the inspector) reads the instrument, while another(the technician) records the thickness. Measurements are taken at one foot intervals. After the measurements are taken, the number of low readings is tabulated. If more than 10 percent of the points fall below the minimum value, there is a design review, and the part may be stripped of coating, and a new coating is applied. There is no other analysis.

Harrison, Harry C.↗

Development of Advanced Thermal and Environmental Barrier Coatings Using a High-Heat-Flux Testing Approach

The development of low conductivity, robust thermal and environmental barrier coatings requires advanced testing techniques that can accurately and effectively evaluate coating thermal conductivity and cyclic resistance at very high surface temperatures (up to 1700 C) under large thermal gradients. In this study, a laser high-heat-flux test approach is established for evaluating advanced low conductivity, high temperature capability thermal and environmental barrier coatings under the NASA Ultra Efficient Engine Technology (UEET) program. The test approach emphasizes the real-time monitoring and assessment of the coating thermal conductivity, which initially rises under the steady-state high temperature thermal gradient test due to coating sintering, and later drops under the cyclic thermal gradient test due to coating cracking/delamination. The coating system is then evaluated based on damage accumulation and failure after the combined steady-state and cyclic thermal gradient tests. The lattice and radiation thermal conductivity of advanced ceramic coatings can also be evaluated using laser heat-flux techniques. The external radiation resistance of the coating is assessed based on the measured specimen temperature response under a laser- heated intense radiation-flux source. The coating internal radiation contribution is investigated based on the measured apparent coating conductivity increases with the coating surface test temperature under large thermal gradient test conditions. Since an increased radiation contribution is observed at these very high surface test temperatures, by varying the laser heat-flux and coating average test temperature, the complex relation between the lattice and radiation conductivity as a function of surface and interface test temperature may be derived.

Zhu, Dongming↗

Anti-Adhesion Elastomer Seal Coatings for Ultraviolet and Atomic Oxygen Protection

Radiation blocking sunscreen coatings have been developed for the protection of elastomer seals used in low-Earth-orbit (LEO). The coatings protect the seals from ultraviolet (UV) radiation and atomic oxygen (AO) damage. The coatings were developed for use on NASA docking seals. Docking seal damage from the UV and AO present in LEO can constrain mission time-line, flight mode options, and increases risk. A low level of adhesion is also required for docking seals so undocking push-off forces can be low. The coatings presented also mitigate this unwanted adhesion. Greases with low collected volatile condensable materials (CVCM) and low total mass loss (TML) were mixed with slippery and/or UV blocking powders to create the protective coatings. Coatings were applied at rates up to 2 milligrams per square centimeter. Coated seals were exposed to AO and UV in the NUV (near-UV) and UV-C wavelength ranges (300 to 400 nanometers and 254 nanometers, respectively). Ground based ashers were used to simulate the AO of space. The Sun's UV energy was mimicked assuming a nose forward flight mode, resulting in an exposure rate of 2.5 megajoules per square meter per day. Exposures between 0 and 147 megajoules per square meter (UV-C) and 245 megajoules per square meter (NUV) were accomplished. The protective coatings were durable, providing protection from UV after a simulated docking and undocking cycle. The level of protection begins to decline at coverage rates less than 0.9 milligrams per square centimeter. The leakage of seals coated with Braycote plus 20 percent Z-cote ZnO sunscreen increased by a factor of 40 after moderate AO exposure; indicating that this coating might not be suitable due to AO intolerance. Seals coated with DC-7-16.4 percent Z-cote ZnO sunscreen were not significantly affected by combined doses of 2 x 10 (sup 21) atoms per square AO with 73 megajoules per square meter UV-C. Unprotected seals were significantly damaged at UV-C exposures of 0.3 megajoules per square meter and DC-7-16.4 percent Z-cote coated seals were undamaged at all exposures up to the limits tested thus far which were 147 megajoules per square meter UV-C and 245 megajoules per square meter NUV. The coatings decreased adhesion sufficiently for docking seals at temperatures equal to or greater than -8 degrees Centigrade thus offer a simple and inexpensive way to mitigate adhesion.

adhesion↗

Reflective Coatings for the Future X-Ray Mirror Substrates

We present the development of the reflective coating by magnetron sputtering deposition onto precisely-fabricated thin X-ray mirrors. Our goal is to remove distortion induced by the coating and then keep their surface pro les. We first addressed the uniform coating to minimize the distortion by introducing a mask to control the spatial distribution of the coating thickness. The uniformity was finally achieved within 1%. We next tried a platinum single-layer coating on a glass substrate with a dimension of 200 mm 125 mm. The distortion caused by the frontside coating with a thickness of 320 A was found to be at most 1 m, smaller than the previous results obtained from the non-uniform coating. We then carried out the platinum coating with the same amount of the thickness on the backside surface of the glass substrate. The surface pro le of the glass substrate was fully recovered, indicating that the residual stress was successfully balanced by the backside coating. Furthermore, we tried to an iridium single-layer coating with a thickness of 150 Aon the silicon mirrors. The frontside coating caused the degradation of the imaging quality by 7:5 arcsec in half-power width. However, the backside coating with the same amount of the thickness reduced this degradation to be 3:4 arcsec. Finally, an additional backside coating with a thickness of 100 A and the annealing to relax the residual stress were found to eliminate the distortion completely; the final degradation of the imaging quality was only 0:4 arcsec.

Mori, Hideyuki↗

Effect of post-deposition heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of NASA HR-1 cold spray coatings

The primary goal of this work was to examine the impact of heat treatment on the evolution of microstructure and mechanical properties of NASA HR-1 cold spray coatings. Coatings were produced employing a high pressure cold spray system using N2 and He process gases and the effect of process gas and deposition temperature on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the coatings was examined. Microstructural characterization was performed using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, micro X-ray computed tomography, and electron backscatter diffraction. NASA HR-1 coatings produced with He process gas exhibited improved plastic deformation and resulted in the lowest porosity compared to those deposited with N2 process gas. All coatings showed brittle failure with limited ductility in the as-deposited condition. Heat treatment of the NASA HR-1 cold spray coatings was performed at 550°C and 950°C for 1 h to improve the mechanical strength of the coatings. Heat treatment improved the particle bonding and enhanced the mechanical properties of the cold spray coatings. Heat treatment performed at 550°C resulted in higher mechanical strength of coatings, whereas the heat treatment performed at 950°C resulted in recrystallized microstructure and improved ductility of the coatings. However, heat treatment at 950°C resulted in forming the Eta (η) phase and Ni-Ti intermetallics in all the NASA HR-1 cold spray coatings. Here, the overall results suggest that using He as process gas contributed to reduced porosity and enhanced mechanical properties of the cold spray coatings.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Valuation of Surface Coatings in High-Energy Density Lithium-ion Battery Cathode Materials

Artificial barriers, usually with either electrochemically active or inactive coating materials, are deployed on cathode material surfaces to mitigate detrimental side reactions by suppressing direct contact of cathode and electrolyte called surface coatings. These surface coatings are commonly known to increase the wettability of liquid electrolyte and reduce the interfacial charge transfer resistance. An important caveat is the selection of appropriate coating material with appropriate thickness for achieving enhanced electrochemical performance. As modern battery materials are increasingly developed with some type of surface coating, a careful and thorough examination of their role in mitigating the cycle life issues of cathode materials is paramount. Here, this comprehensive review article extensively covers the selection criteria of coating materials based on their chemical and physical properties and electrochemical functionalities. Additionally, the article discusses the concept of critical coating thickness and methods of achieving homogeneous coating architectures that deliver desired performance benefits. Furthermore, this comprehensive article summarizes the recent advancements, effectiveness, necessity of cathode surface coatings and identifies the key aspect of structure-property correlation between coating type/thickness and lithium-ion diffusion through coating layers as the linchpin that validates surface coating approaches especially for high capacity nickel-rich cathodes.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Hydrothermal Corrosion of First-Generation Dual-Purpose Coatings on Silicon Carbide for Accident-Tolerant Fuel Cladding

In this study, four different commercial coatings, TiN, Cr, CrN, and Cr/CrN (multilayer) were deposited by physical vapor deposition (PVD) on high resistivity chemical vapor deposited (CVD) SiC for the dual purpose of corrosion mitigation and fission gas hermeticity. The coatings were exposed for up to 2600 hours in flowing high temperature (288-350°C), high purity, liquid water with dissolved hydrogen (0.15-3ppm) or dissolved oxygen (1-2ppm). The Cr/CrN coatings did not adhere well and spalled quickly during exposure. In oxygenated conditions, none of the coatings were protective . CrN coatings spalled preferentially at defect sites, but reacted slowly enough in the absence of defects to potentially be chemically protective. TiN coatings fully oxidized within a few hundred hours and spalled. In hydrogen, all the coatings were chemically stable. Coating failures were identified and attributed to localized spallation, potentially related to coating defects. Coating improvements are recommended to reduce spallation and improve coating protection for future generations of dual-purpose coatings.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Effects of elevated temperature exposure on the residual stress state and microstructure of PVD Cr coatings on SiC investigated via in situ X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy

Pure Cr coatings are being considered as corrosion-resistant layers for SiC-SiC f composite fuel cladding in light water reactors. The residual stress state and interdiffusion behavior of Cr coatings deposited on SiC substrates using bipolar high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (B-HiPIMS) and direct current impulse magnetron sputtering (DCMS) were studied using in situ X-ray diffraction experiments at 300 °C, 700 °C, and 1200 °C. After elevated temperature exposure, evolution of the coating microstructure and coating/substrate interdiffusion was characterized by transmission electron microscopy. The compressive residual stress of the dense B-HiPIMS coating at room temperature was gradually relieved at 300 °C, while the stress transitioned to a tensile state at 700 °C. Grain growth of the Cr coating and a Cr–SiC interdiffusion layer consisting of newly formed Cr–C and Cr–Si phases were observed in the B-HiPIMS coating after exposure at 700 °C. The phases in the interdiffusion layer were identified to be Cr 7 C 3 , Cr 3 Si, and Cr 5 Si 3 C x experimentally and by thermodynamic predictions. For the DCMS coating, however, changes in residual stress and microstructure at the elevated temperatures were limited by the inherent porosity and inhomogeneous structure of the as-deposited coating. At 1200 °C, both coating types interacted rapidly with the underlying SiC substrate in the early stages of the experiment. The results from this study suggest that the characteristics of the Cr coatings do not significantly change at the reactor operating temperature of 300 °C, while changes in microstructure and stress state are expected in off-normal conditions of 700 °C and 1200 °C. Finally the results from this study suggest the B-HiPIMS coating is best-suited as a protective coating for SiC fuel cladding.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Preparation of illite coated geomaterial microfluidic surfaces: Effect of salinity and heat treatment

Unique characteristics of clay (e.g., high surface area, deficiency in positive charges) make any clay abundant shales a good source of adsorbed gas. However, the presence of clay in porous media can also affect shale rock's producibility. The clay-water interaction can cause significant swelling and fines migration in the formation and impair the overall hydrocarbon recovery from shale. Geomaterial micromodels, developed by functionalizing traditional glass or PDMS surfaces with geomaterials (e.g., calcite, Quartz, clay), can represent the physicochemical properties of the natural porous media and have been used during the last few years to understand and evaluate the solid-fluid physicochemical interactions. Here, this study focuses on developing a clay-coated geomaterial surface and investigates the effect of base fluid's salinity on clay adsorption to the glass surface. Glass capillary tubes and straight channel borosilicate glass micromodels are coated with Illite clay to represent the pore-scale clay chemistry of Caney Shale, a Mississippian unconventional play in Southern Oklahoma, USA. 10 wt% of Illite clay slurries made with brines of four different salinities are used to coat the glass-capillary tubes to understand the effect of salinity in clay adsorption on the glass surface and overall coating quality. To achieve a stable coating and evaluate the impact of heat treatment on coating's stability, straight channel glass flow cells coated with Illite clay are heat-treated at low (25 °C) and high temperature (125 °C), and the results are compared with an untreated coated surface. Flooding tests were carried out with brines of different salinities on the coated surface to evaluate the stability of the coating. The experimental results indicated a strong relationship between the brine's salinity and the adsorption of clay particles on the glass surface. An increase in brine concentration resulted in improved adsorption of clay particles on the glass surface. Experiments involving heat treating the glass surface following the coating demonstrated significant improvement in the stability of the coating.

02 PETROLEUM↗