Fuel rod with wear-inhibiting coating

A fuel rod, comprising:

• a cladding tube;
• and
• a composite of a metal matrix and a ceramic material or a metal oxide hard phase material, wherein the metal matrix acts as a binding agent for bonding the ceramic material or the metal oxide hard phase material to the cladding tube.

A method for enhancing the fretting wear characteristics of a fuel rod comprising the step of thermal spraying a hard metallic powder material selected from the group consisting of NiCrAlY, NiCr, FeCrAlY, FeCr, or combinations thereof, onto an outside surface of a cladding tube to form a wear-inhibiting coating having a thickness of between about 25 microns and about 175 microns.

A method for enhancing the fretting wear characteristics of a fuel rod, comprising the steps of:

• thermal spraying a metallic powder material onto an outside surface of a cladding tube to form a metal matrix;
• and
• thermal spraying a cermet powder material simultaneously with the metallic material onto the outside surface of the cladding tube, whereby the metal matrix formed by the metallic material acts as a binding agent for bonding the cermet material onto the outside surface of the cladding tube to form a wear-inhibiting coating.