Lead-bismuth eutectic corrosion resistance of TiAlN coating after N⁵⁺ ion irradiation

In this study, a Ti0.33Al0.67N coating with Cr as the transition layer was prepared by cathodic arc-ion plating. After irradiation with N5+ ions, the coating was exposed to lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) at 450 C-degrees for 3000 h. The effect of irradiation on the corrosion resistance of the coatings was also investigated. No evidence of an LBE corrosion attack was observed in either the irradiated or unirradiated coatings. Transmission electron microscopy images revealed that the nanoscale oxide layer on the surface of the titanium aluminum nitride coating was the main barrier to LBE corrosion. The unirradiated coating had a single oxide layer, whereas the irradiated coating had a double oxide layer. Irradiation also affects the coating adhesion by inducing stress. However, after the corrosion test, the adhesion of all coating samples unexpectedly increased and were almost at the same level. The coating exhibited excellent properties after irradiation and LBE corrosion; therefore, the coating can be applied in future nuclear reactors.