Effect of Compressive Deformation on Wear Property of Extruded ZK60 Magnesium Alloy

The present study investigates the dry sliding wear behavior of precompressed ZK60 alloy using a ball-on-disc wear test machine under normal loads of 20 and 40N at a sliding speed of 0.5m s(-1) for a constant sliding distance of 1,500m. Microstructures and worn surfaces were characterized by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Microhardness measurements were taken to evaluate mechanical properties. Results showed that both the microhardness and wear resistance of uncompressived alloy can be improved with precompression. This is attributed to the grain refinement via subdivision of twin lamellae generated by compressive deformation. Furthermore, the worn surface studies showed a mixed type of wear mechanisms: oxidative and delamination wear took place under higher applied loads.