Tribological properties of microarc oxidation coatings on Zirlo alloy

The ceramic coatings were prepared on Zirlo alloy using Microarc Oxidation (MAO) technology. Their tribological properties were evaluated by a ball-on-disc friction and wear tester in dry sliding against GCr15 steel ball, and their wear mechanism was also discussed. Compared to bare Zirlo alloy, the MAO coatings had good wear resistance. Their lowest wear rate was about 4.59 × 10 −6 mm 3 N −1 m −1 , which was only about 1/60 of bare Zirlo alloy. In addition, the polishing treatment of MAO coatings could reduce the wear rate and improve their wear resistance. Composition and micrograph of worn surface indicated that the wear mechanism of MAO coatings was mainly the adhesive wear while the bare Zirlo alloy showed mainly the abrasive wear.