Investigation of tribological properties of micro-arc oxidation ceramic coating on Mg alloy under dry sliding condition

To enhance wear resistance of Mg alloy, micro-arc oxidation (MAO) ceramic coatings on Mg substrate were prepared in silicate electrolyte under various currents. It was found that the surface roughness and thickness of MAO coating were increased with the increase of current. The dry tribological tests showed that the friction coefficient and wear resistance of thicker coatings (obtained under currents of 3 A and 4 A) were much higher than that of Mg alloy and the thin coating (obtained under current of 2 A), meanwhile the lifetime of the coating obtained under 4 A was longer than the other coatings under higher load. The wear type of thin MAO coating was slight abrasive wear under low load, whereas translated to severe adhesive wear under high load. While the main wear mechanism of thick MAO coating was slight abrasive wear or scratch under the given test condition, which was attributed to the thick intermediate layer improved load support for the soft substrate. The tribological study indicated that the MAO coating obtained under 4 A current had better wear resistance and life time due to its compact microstructure and thickness.