Improving the corrosion resistance of FeCrAl alloy in high temperature hydrogenated water through gaseous pre-oxidation

FeCrAl alloy, a promising candidate for accident tolerance fuel (ATF) cladding, has relatively low resistance to general corrosion in high temperature water. To improve the corrosion resistance, a continuous Al₂O₃ layer was formed on the surface of FeCrAl alloy through gaseous pre-oxidation. It was found that such treatment can significantly improve its corrosion resistance in high temperature hydrogenated water. The thickness of inner oxide layer after exposure to 320 °C hydrogenated water for 950 h was reduced by ∼40%. In addition, the size and density of outer oxide particles were also decreased. However, the Al₂O₃ film pre-formed on FeCrAl alloy had poor stability in high temperature water and its long-term effect needs to be further evaluated.