Dry sliding wear behavior of hot deformed magnesium AZ61 alloy as influenced by the sliding conditions

This paper investigates the wear behavior of magnesium alloy AZ61 processed by warm large strain plastic deformation (extrusion and rolling) during dry sliding. The experiments were performed using a pin-on-ring type wear apparatus against a stainless steel counterface under loads in the range of 50–350 N, and within a sliding velocity range of 0.2–1.8 m/s. Microstructural investigations and chemical analyses on the worn surfaces were undertaken using an optical microscope and a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with an energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) for determination type of damage and nature of distortion at the surface. An X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to determine the compositions of the worn surfaces. The results revealed that the sliding wear behavior of AZ61 can be classified into two main wear regimes, mild wear regime and a severe wear regime. In the mild wear region, the wear rates increased linearly with the sliding velocity and the applied load. The linear relationship indicates that steady state has been achieved. In the severe wear region, the wear has been found to increase almost proportionally with applied load and sliding velocity.