Characteristic and behavior of an electrodeposited chromium (III) oxide/silicon carbide composite coating under hydrogen plasma environment

Abstract

Hydrogen permeation barriers play a crucial role in reducing the risk of hydrogen permeation and radioactive leakage during the service of a fusion reactor. In this work, a chromium (III) oxide/silicon carbide (Cr2O3/SiC) composite coating was proposed to improve the hydrogen permeation resistance of ferronickel alloy. At first, the Cr/SiC composite coating was prepared by pulse electrodeposition in a trivalent chromium plating bath containing suspended SiC nanoparticles, and then oxidized it under 500 °C at a pressure of 100 Pa. The surface morphology, phase structure, surface chemical states, thickness, and the integrity of the composite coating were analyzed and compared. In particular, the effects of hydrogen permeation of the composite coatings were investigated. As a result, the composite coating showed huge potential in improving hydrogen permeation resistance, which provides a promising application for fusion reactors.