Thermal cycling tests showed that the adhesion of the TiC, ZrC, and ZrO2 coating layers with niobium was relatively weak compared to the TaC and Y2O3 coatings. The TaC and Y2O3 coatings had better cycling characteristics with no interconnected cracks. In the interaction studies, ZrC and ZrO2 coated rods showed significant degradations after exposure to U-10 wt.% Zr melt at 1600ºC for 15 min., but TaC, TiC, and Y2O3 coatings showed good compatibility with U-Zr melt. | Interaction studies of ceramic vacuum plasma spraying for the melting crucible materials
