Alternative cladding materials to Zr-based alloys are being investigated for accident tolerance, which can be defined as >100X improvement (compared to Zr-based alloys) in oxidation resistance to steam or steam-H_2 environments at >1473 K (1200 °C) for short times. After reviewing a wide range of candidates, current steam oxidation testing is being conducted on Mo, MAX phases, and FeCrAl alloys. Recently reported low-mass losses for Mo in steam at 1073 K (800 °C) could not be reproduced. Both FeCrAl and MAX phase Ti_2AlC form a protective alumina scale in steam. However, commercial Ti_2AlC that was not single phase, formed a much thicker oxide at 1473 K (1200 °C) in steam and significant TiO_2, and therefore, Ti_2AlC may be challenging to form as a cladding or a coating. Alloy development for FeCrAl is seeking to maintain its steam oxidation resistance to 1748 K (1475 °C), while reducing its Cr content to minimize susceptibility to irradiation-assisted α' formation. The composition effects and critical limits to retaining protective scale formation at >1673 K (1400 °C) are still being evaluated.
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