Corrosion and irradiation behavior of Fe-based amorphous coating in lead-bismuth eutectic liquids

Lead-bismuth eutectics (LBE) have considerable potential as a candidate material for accelerator-driven sub-critical systems (ADS). However, LBE corrosion and irradiation damage are two urgent challenges remaining to be solved for impellers of primary pumps. In this study, we have explored the possibility of using Fe-based amorphous coatings to overcome LBE corrosion and concurrently to sustain irradiation damage. Specifically, the Fe54Cr18Mo2Zr8B18 amorphous coating was prepared by high-velocity oxygen-fuel (HVOF) spraying on 316L steel and exposed to saturated oxygen static LBE for 500 h at 400°C. The coating with high thermal stability (Tg=615°C and Tx=660°C) effectively prevented the substrate steel from being corroded by LBE owing to its unique long-range disordered atomic packing. The coating also exhibited strong irradiation resistance when being subjected to 45 dpa (displacement per atom) Au ion irradiation at room temperature, with no sign of crystallization even at the maximum implantation depth of 300 nm. Consequently, the hardness of the coatings before and after irradiation increased slightly. The current findings shed new insights into understanding corrosion mechanism and irradiation behavior of amorphous solids in LBE and expand the application range of amorphous materials.