Corrosion Resistance of Uranium Coated with Zinc by Amalgam Coating

Protective coatings on uranium were prepared with amalgam formed by Zn reacting with Hg. The coatings were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The corrosion resistance of the coatings was tested by thermogravimetric analysis(TGA) and Raman spectroscopy. The results show that it is feasible to prepare compact coatings on uranium surface with Zn amalgam. The coatings can combine with uranium tightly. The zinc coating has excellent corrosion resistant property to uranium in 40% O2 at 150 ℃. The protection of zinc coating for uranium depends on the physical barrier role from the compact ZnO film.