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Zirconium-based alloys have served the nuclear industry for several decades due to their acceptable properties for nuclear cores of light water reactors (LWRs). However, severe accidents in LWRs have directed research and development of accident tolerant fuel (ATF) concepts that aim to improve nuclear fuel safety during normal operation, operational transients and possible accident scenarios. This review introduces the latest results in the development of protective coatings for ATF claddings based on Zr alloys, involving their behavior under normal and accident conditions in LWRs. Great attention has been paid to the protection and oxidation mechanisms of coated claddings, as well as to the mutual interdiffusion between coatings and zirconium alloys. An overview of recent developments in barrier coatings is introduced, and possible barrier layers and structure designs for suppressing mutual diffusion are proposed.

Titanium, its alloys, and refractory compounds are often used in the compositions of surfacing materials. In particular, under the conditions of electron-beam surfacing the use of synthesized composite powder based on titanium carbide with a metal binder (TiC-Me) has a positive effect. These powders have been prepared via the self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) present in a thermally-inert metal binder. The initial carbide particle distribution changes slightly in the surfacing layer in the high-energy rapid process of electron-beam surfacing. However, these methods also have their limitations. The development of technologies and equipment using low-energy sources is assumed. In this case, the question of the structure formation of composite materials based on titanium carbide remains open, if a low-energy and prolonged impact in additive manufacturing will be used. This work reports the investigation of the sintered powders that were previously synthesized by the layerwise combustion mode of a mixture of titanium, carbon black, and metal binders of various types. The problems of structure formation during vacuum sintering of multi-component powder materials obtained as a result of SHS are considered. The microstructure and dependences of the sintered composites densification on the sintering temperature and the composition of the SH-synthesized powder used are presented. It has been shown that under the conditions of the nonstoichiometric synthesized titanium carbide during subsequently vacuum sintering an additional alloy formation occurs that can lead to a consolidation (shrinkage) or volumetric growth of sintered TiC-Me composite depending on the type of metal matrix used.