Development of hardfacing materials for the use in hydrostatic bearings of sodium pumps

This is a review of the work done on the development of hard facing materials for application in the hydrostatic bearing of the sodium pumps developed in the Netherlands for the joint German-Dutch-Belgian breeder reactor project (SNR). For various reasons cladding with Stellite 6 was chosen as the surface treatment for the bearings of the first generation of SNR pumps. Should the need arise, other -less conventional- materials are available for application. These include flame sprayed 'Stoody 90', a Stellite type material without nickel and with a relatively high cobalt content, two binary cobalt alloys, produced by an electroslag remelting technique, a stainless steel - tungsten carbide cermet and a cermet, consisting of tungsten carbide in a nickel-chromium matrix, both applied by flame spraying