Abstract: In order to study the influence of cerium ion implantation on the aqueous corrosion behavior of zirconium, specimens were implanted by cerium ions with a dosage range from 1×10^16 to 1×10^17 ions/erae at about 150℃, using MEWA source at an acceler ative voltage of 40kV. The valence of the surface layer was analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS); Three-sweep potentiodynamie polarization measurement was employed to value the aqueous corrosion resistance of zirconium in a 0.5mol/L H2SO4 solution. It was found that a remarkable decline in the aqueous corrosion behavior of zirconium implanted with cerium ions compared with that of the as-received zirconium. Finally, the mechanism of the corrosion resistance decline of the cerium-implanted zirconium is discussed.

Key words: zirconium, corrosion resistance, cerium ion implantation