Sliding wear and friction behavior of zirconium alloy with heat-treated Inconel718

In water-cooled nuclear reactors, the sliding of fuel rod can lead to severe wear and it is an important issue to sustain the structural integrity of nuclear reactor. In the present study, sliding wear behavior of zirconium alloy in dry and water environment using Pin-On-Disk sliding wear tester was investigated. Wear resistance of zirconium alloy against heat-treated Inconel718 pin was examined at room temperature. Sliding wear tests were carried out at different sliding distance, axial load and sliding speed based on ASTM G99-05. The results of these experiments were verified with specific wear rate and coefficient of friction. The micro-mechanisms responsible for wear in zirconium alloy were identified to be microcutting and microcracking in dry environment. Moreover, micropitting and delamination were observed in water environment.