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Acta Metall Sin  2025, Vol. 61 Issue (12): 1781-1789    DOI: 10.11900/0412.1961.2024.00131
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Preparation of (AlZrTaTiZr)N x Tritium Barrier Coating and Adsorption of Hydrogen Isotope on the Surface
ZHANG Jiandong, XI Xiaochong, LING Yongsheng, ZENG Fanrong, SHAN Qing, JIA Wenbao()
School of Materials Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 211106, China
Cite this article: 

ZHANG Jiandong, XI Xiaochong, LING Yongsheng, ZENG Fanrong, SHAN Qing, JIA Wenbao. Preparation of (AlZrTaTiZr)N x Tritium Barrier Coating and Adsorption of Hydrogen Isotope on the Surface. Acta Metall Sin, 2025, 61(12): 1781-1789.

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Abstract  

In the tritium proliferation site of the fusion reactor, the tritium barrier coating can effectively prevent the diffusion of tritium into the cladding structure and avoid the degradation of the material and the loss of tritium resources. However, the performance of existing coatings (such as α-Al2O3 and Er2O3) in extreme environments such as irradiation is challenged, and high-entropy alloy coatings are considered to be an effective solution. In meeting the aforementioned requirements, (AlCrTaTiZr)N x coatings were prepared on a Si substrate by magnetron sputtering under different N2 flows. The crystal structure, microstructure, and elemental content of the coatings were studied by XRD, SEM, and EDS. When no N2 was introduced, the film was amorphous. By contrast, when N2 was introduced, the film developed a fcc structure, which was closely combined with the Si substrate, and the coating had good compactness. When the volume flow ratio of N2 / (Ar + N2) (RN) is 15%, the crystallinity of the film was strongest. On the basis of the first principles method combined with the special quasi-random structure, an adsorption model of H2 molecules on the (001) surface of (AlCrTaTiZr)N was constructed. The hydrogen isotope surface interaction of coatings under service conditions was constructed and studied on the basis of the experiments. First, the adsorption energy of different sites and adsorption modes, as well as the effect of stable adsorption on the mechanical properties of the coating under different H2 coverages was calculated. Results indicate that the vertical adsorption Hollow sites are stable adsorption sites, and H2 adsorption on the coating surface is dependent on physical adsorption. H2 is adsorbed on the Hollow sites composed of CrTaTiZr. After adsorption, the volume modulus (B), shear modulus (G), Young's modulus (E), Poisson's ratio (ν) and B / G of the coating decreased. From a macroscopic perspective, H2 adsorption decreases the strength, hardness, and ductility of the coating.

Key words:  magnetron sputtering      tritium barrier coating      first-principles      tritium adsorption      mechanical stability     
Received:  07 May 2024     
ZTFLH:  TL62-7  
Fund: National Natural Science Foundation of China(12305305);China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2023M731657);Postgraduate Research and Practice Innovation Program of NUAA(xcxjh202306204)
Corresponding Authors:  JIA Wenbao, professor, Tel: 13776682864, E-mail: jiawenbao@163.com

URL: 

https://www.ams.org.cn/EN/10.11900/0412.1961.2024.00131     OR     https://www.ams.org.cn/EN/Y2025/V61/I12/1781

Fig.1  Supercell model of (AlCrTaTiZr)N after structural optimization
Fig.2  Surface energies of (100), (010), (001), and (111) planes of (AlCrTaTiZr)N with different layers
Fig.3  Schematics of parallel adsorption (a) and vertical adsorption (b) of H2 on the surface of (AlCrTaTiZr)N
Fig.4  Schematic of adsorption sites of H2 on the surface of (AlCrTaTiZr)N
Fig.5  XRD spectra of nitride films at different volume flow rate of N2 (RN—volume flow ratio of N2 / (Ar + N2))
Fig.6  Surfacial (a-e) and cross-sectional (f) SEM images of nitride films under different N2 flow rates
(a) RN = 0 (b) RN = 5% (c) RN = 10% (d, f) RN = 15% (e) RN = 20%
RN / %AlCrTaTiZrN
016.0020.3217.6424.8820.360
57.8611.469.2711.3813.5146.52
105.2510.599.138.1410.6156.28
154.4510.019.006.7010.8658.98
203.459.308.786.169.6662.65
Table 1  Element contents in the nitride films at different N2 fluxes measured by EDS
Adsorption siteParallel adsorptionVertical adsorption
Top site-0.146-0.252
Bridge site0.244-0.064
Hollow site-0.298-0.452
Table 2  Adsorption energies of H2 on (AlCrTaTiZr)N (001) surface
Fig.7  H2 bond length and change rate of H2 before and after adsorption on (AlCrTaTiZr)N (001) surface
Fig.8  Schematic of vertical adsorption sites (a) and adsorption energies (b) of H2 at different Hollow position on the (AlCrTaTiZr)N (001) plane
H2 coverage / MLC11C12C44
0369.45176.25173.32
0.05369.02175.77172.94
0.10368.84175.59172.67
0.15368.55175.33172.52
0.20368.46175.14172.48
Table 3  Elastic constant (Cij ) of the coating after stable adsorption under different H2 coverages
Fig.9  Bulk modulus (B)(a), Young's modulus (E)(b), shear modulus (G)(c), and Poisson's ratio (ν) and B / G (d) of the coating after stable adsorption under different H2 coverages
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