Effects of Heat Treatment on the Partially Lubricated Sliding Wear Behaviour of a Zinc-Based Alloy

This investigation deals with the observations made during the sliding wear behaviour of a zinc-based alloy in the as-cast and heat-treated conditions. Partially lubricated wear tests were conducted over a range of sliding speeds and applied pressures. Wear rate versus pressure plots assumed lower slope initially. This was followed by a larger slope at higher applied pressures. Increasing speed/pressure led to inferior wear response of the alloy. Also, specimen seizure was noticed only when sliding took place at high speeds. Interestingly, in spite of the deteriorating strength and hardness properties, the heat-treated alloy performed superior to that of the as-cast variety irrespective of the test condition except at the maximum speed of sliding. The trend reversed in the latter case. Wear behaviour of the samples has been further substantiated with the features of their wear surfaces, subsurface regions and debris particles.