Effect of Gd addition on the wear behavior of Mg–xGd–3Y–0.5Zr alloys

The effects of different Gd additions on wear behavior of the T6 heat treated Mg–xGd–3Y–0.5Zr alloys were investigated. The wear tests were carried out using a Ball-on-flat type wear apparatus against an AISI 52100 type bearing steel ball counterface in the load range of 3–15 N, sliding speed range of 0.03–0.18 m/s, temperature range of 25–200 °C and at a constant sliding distance of 400 m. The results showed that the wear rate of the tested alloys increased with increasing sliding load. By increasing the wear temperature to 200 °C, the wear rate of the Mg–6Gd–3Y–0.5Zr alloy decreased by about 24%. At higher wear speeds, wear resistance of the alloys increased due to the formation of stable oxide layers on the worn surfaces. The alloy containing 12 wt% Gd exhibited higher wear resistance compared with the alloys containing lower Gd contents under the same conditions.