Abstract
The oxide dispersion strengthening (ODS) material are candidates for structural materials
in nuclear reactors due to high density of small oxide particles dispersed in the matrix. In
this study, the microstructure and wear performance of ZrO₂ stabilized with Y₂O₃
reinforced AISI 316L austenitic stainless steels was investigated. The ODS-316L steel
powders were sintered using spark plasma sintering technique. The surface structure and
composition of the sintered samples were examined by field emission scanning electron
microscopy (FESEM) equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray
diffraction (XRD). The experimental results were compared with the untreated 316L
material. Tribological tests were performed on a ball-on-disc wear tester under dry
condition at different applied loads from 5 to 35 N. The sliding distance was 2 mm for
1000 s. A tungsten carbide (WC) ball was used as a counterface material. Results showed
that addition of ZrO₂ significantly improved the microhardness values while the presence
of ZrO2 phase in the 316L matrix reduces the friction coefficient and increased resistance
to sliding wear.