Improving the wear resistance of the magnesium alloy WE43 by cold sprayed Ni–Al2O3 and Ni–Zn–Al2O3 coatings

Abstract Lightweight magnesium (Mg) alloys are employed in a wide range of applications due to their high specific strengths. Nevertheless, some applications require improvement of the wear resistance of Mg alloys. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the initial surface conditions, cold spray temperature, and coating material on the wear resistance of the cold sprayed coatings on WE43 Mg substrate. Blasted and sandpapered surfaces were coated with commercial powders of K-32 (Ni and Al 2 O 3 ) and K-714 (Zn, Ni, and Al 2 O 3 ). The coating materials were cold sprayed on blasted and sandpapered WE43 Mg surfaces at 500 °C and 600 °C. Surface roughness, thickness and wear resistance of the coatings were examined. Deposition efficiency was improved by raising the N 2 gas temperature. The samples with the greatest wear resistance were those that were coated with Zn, Ni, and Al 2 O 3 powder mixture on sandpapered surfaces at temperatures of 600 °C, where deposition efficiency is maximum. Cold spray coatings enhanced the wear resistance of the WE43 Mg substrate.