Abstract
Friction and wear resistance are important factors that affect the selection of accident-tolerant fuel coating materials. In this study, the wear behavior of a series of Cr-Nx coatings with different N contents was investigated using a reciprocating sliding tester. The coating morphology, change in the coefficient of friction during the friction and wear tests, and wear volume after the friction and wear tests, were characterized and discussed in detail. The results show that the Cr2N coating has better anti-friction and wear resistance behaviors than the Cr and CrN coatings under anhydrous and aqueous conditions. In addition, the water environment promoted the wear of the Zr-4 alloy and Cr coatings and inhibited the wear of the CrN and Cr2N coatings. The mechanisms of friction and wear were also discussed.
Highlights
Nuclear reactor fuel cladding is the first barrier between radioactive fuel rods and the environment and plays an important role in ensuring reactor safety [1]
Zr alloys are widely used as nuclear reactor fuel cladding materials owing to their low neutron capture cross-section, thermal conductivity, and mechanical properties [2]
According to the point scanning results, the Cr content on microdroplets is significantly higher for CrN and Cr2N coatings, which further indicates that the microdroplets were because of the emission of the cathode Cr target material
Summary
Nuclear reactor fuel cladding is the first barrier between radioactive fuel rods and the environment and plays an important role in ensuring reactor safety [1]. Zr alloys are widely used as nuclear reactor fuel cladding materials owing to their low neutron capture cross-section, thermal conductivity, and mechanical properties [2]. These alloys show a lack of protection ability under certain conditions, during loss-ofcoolant accidents (LOCAs) [3,4]. After the Fukushima nuclear accident, methods to improve the oxidation resistance of fuel cladding have been considered as extremely important in the fields of nuclear materials and safety. In addition to replacing UO2 fuel by using materials such as U3Si2 [7], UN [8], etc., with higher thermal conductivity, there are two main ways to improve the performance of fuel cladding in ATF systems. Based on a comprehensive consideration of its compatibility with existing nuclear power plants and economic conditions, coating technology has been widely studied because it can substantially improve the oxidation of the cladding without replacing the Zr alloys [1]
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