Dry sliding wear behavior of cast Mg–11Y–5Gd–2Zn magnesium alloy

Dry sliding wear tests on as-cast and cast+T6 Mg–11Y–5Gd–2Zn magnesium alloys were performed using a ball-on-plate configuration. The wear rates were measured within a load range of 3-15 N, sliding speed range of 0.03-0.24 m/s, test temperature range of 25–200 °C and at a constant sliding distance of 400 m. The wear tracks, worn surfaces and wear debris of the alloys were analyzed using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results show that the wear rate of the alloys increases almost linearly with increasing applied load and decreases with increasing sliding speed. The wear rate of the as-cast alloy is higher than that of the cast+T6 alloy. The amount of Mg12Y1Zn1 phase, surface oxidation and retained wear debris affect the wear rate. The dominant wear mechanisms under the test condition are abrasion and plastic deformation.