Method of ion-plasma application of corrosion-resistant film coatings on articles made from zirconium alloys

A method of ion-plasma application of a single corrosion-resistant film coating on each outer surface of a plurality of articles consisting essentially of zirconium alloys such that the single corrosion-resistant film coating is outermost, wherein the method including:

• placing the articles in a planetary carousel mechanism,
• performing ion-beam etching and surface activation of the outer surfaces of the articles using a plurality of water-cooled unbalanced magnetrons,
• performing additional activation of the outer surfaces using an ion source which generates a plurality of gas ions with an accelerating voltage of up to 5000 V, inclusively, while feeding of a bias voltage to the articles,
• applying the single corrosion-resistant film coating by using an unbalanced magnetron and a balanced magnetron simultaneously with a residual induction of a magnetic field from 0.03 T to 0.1 T, inclusively, characterized in that (i) the articles consisting essentially of zirconium alloys are heated by a plurality of heaters to a temperature between 150° C. and 249° C. before ion-beam etching is performed, inclusively, (ii) the single corrosion-resistant film coating is applied to the outer surfaces of the articles placed vertically in the planetary carousel mechanism, (iii) the articles are heated by the heaters when the single corrosion-resistant film coating is applied to a temperature between 150° C. and 600° C., inclusively, wherein the heaters are positioned along the entire length of the articles facing the outer surfaces of the articles, and (iv) the unbalanced magnetron has a discharge power density between 41 W/cm2 and 80 W/cm2, inclusively, and the balanced magnetron has a discharge power density between 40 W/cm2 and 600 W/cm2, inclusively.