Tribo- and Tribocorrosion Properties of Magnesium AZ31 Alloy

In automotive and aerospace fields, the use of lightweight materials is required. Magnesium and its alloys combine a low density with high mechanical properties and excellent thermal conductivity. However, those materials suffer from low corrosion and wear resistances. The combined action of corrosion and wear is also critical for these materials. Tribocorrosion of magnesium alloy AZ31 has been investigated with reciprocal sliding wear as a function of the applied load in dry and wet (NaCl) conditions. The study shows that the main wear mechanisms were adhesion, abrasion, and oxidation in dry sliding wear while no adhesion was found in wet sliding wear. Corrosion of the worn surface occurs also in wet sliding wear. It is interesting to notice that wear is less pronounced in wet sliding wear than in dry sliding wear due to the natural lubrication of the NaCl electrolyte. Only severe conditions, high normal load, and wet conditions bring magnesium AZ31 alloy in filiform corrosion.