Corrosion resistance of Al2O3‐Y2O3‐SiC coating on depleted uranium prepared by cathode plasma electrolytic deposition

Al2O3‐Y2O3‐SiC composite coatings were prepared on depleted uranium by cathode plasma electrolytic deposition in Al(NO3)3, Y(NO3)3, SiC nanoparticles and anhydrous ethyl alcohol mixture. The resulting coating consisted of an inner barrier layer and an outer porous layer. The SiC nanoparticles were incorporated into the composite coating and decreased the coating porosity by filling the pores. The potentiodynamic polarization test and neutral salt spray test revealed that the corrosion resistance of depleted uranium was enhanced by the composite coating. Moreover, with increasing the content of SiC nanoparticles in the coating, the coating corrosion resistance was improved gradually.