Study on the Microstructure and Wear Mechanism of Grain-Refined Zinc-Aluminum Alloy

Abstract

Some low-titanium aluminum alloys were prepared and the effect of titanium elements on microstructure and wear property of zinc-aluminum alloy was investigated. The test results showed that addition of titanium is an effective way to refine the grain size of zinc-aluminum alloy. As the titanium content is 0.04 wt%, the grain size becomes to be a minimum value. The wear resistance is also improved with the decrease in the grain size. This can be attributed to the grain boundary strengthening of the test alloys leading to strain hardening. SEM photomicrographs of the worn surfaces shows that the test alloys with and without grain refinement exhibit similar wear mechanism. However, the grain-refined sample of the alloy exhibited a more stable friction coefficient than that of the untreated ones under the same test conditions.