Laser Plasma Methods for Improving the Corrosion Resistance of EP-823 Steel Fuel-Element Cladding at 650–720°C

• Published in: Atomic energy (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 121; no. 5; pp. 344 - 349
• Main Authors: Borisov, V. M., Trofimov, V. N., Kuz’menko, V. A., Sapozhkov, A. Yu, Mikhailov, V. B., Yakushkin, A. A., Cherkovets, V. E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-03-2017; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aluminum; Aluminum oxide; Analysis; Building materials; Cladding; Corrosion; Corrosion resistant steels; Energy industry; Excimer lasers; Galvanic corrosion; Hadrons; Heavy Ions; Lasers; Lead; Materials research; Methods; Nuclear Chemistry; Nuclear Energy; Nuclear Physics; Nuclear power plants; Nuclear reactors; Oxides; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Pulsed laser deposition; Rare earth metal compounds; Repair & maintenance; Steel; Steel corrosion; Surface treatment
• ISSN: 1063-4258; 1573-8205
• DOI: 10.1007/s10512-017-0209-0

The existing excimer lasers with pulse durations in the nanosecond range and high pulse and average power afford a unique possibility of influencing the surface of materials and developing new, efficient technologies. It is shown in this article that surface treatment with a periodic-pulse UV laser cleans surfaces by removing oxides, reduces roughness, and increases hardness. Different variants of pulsed laser deposition of aluminum and Al
2
O
3
are used to form protective, composite, cermet layers that suppress surface corrosion of EP-823 steel fuel-element cladding in lead in contact with air at 650–720°C.