Plated metallic substrates and methods of manufacture thereof
AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorsBenjamin R. MAIER, Allan W. JAWORSKI, Jorie L. WALTERS
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Abstract
Plated metallic substrates and methods of manufacture are provided. The method comprises depositing a first layer onto at least a portion of the metallic substrate to create a coated substrate utilizing physical vapor deposition. The method comprises electroplating a second layer comprising chromium, a chromium alloy, or a combination thereof onto at least a portion of the first layer to create a plated substrate.
Claims19
A method for processing a metallic substrate, the method comprising:
- depositing a first layer onto at least a portion of the metallic substrate to create a coated substrate utilizing physical vapor deposition, the first layer is configured to be electroplated;
- and
- electroplating a second layer comprising chromium, a chromium alloy, or a combination thereof onto at least a portion of the first layer to create a plated substrate.
The method of claim 1, further comprising depositing an interlayer onto the metallic substrate prior to the first layer, wherein the interlayer comprises tantalum, a tantalum alloy, tungsten, a tungsten alloy, molybdenum, a molybdenum alloy, niobium, a niobium alloy, or a combination thereof. The method of claim 5, wherein the interlayer comprises a thickness in a range of 0.01 microns to 10 microns.
A plated nuclear fuel rod comprising:
- a substrate comprising zirconium or a zirconium alloy;
- a first layer deposited by physical vapor deposition over the substrate, wherein a thickness of the first layer is in a range of 0.1 microns to 5 microns;
- a second layer deposited by electroplating, the second layer comprising chromium, a chromium alloy, or a combination thereof, wherein a thickness of the second layer is in a range of 0.1 microns to 50 microns.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.