Laser cladding of Zr-based coating on AZ91D magnesium alloy for improvement of wear and corrosion resistance

To improve the wear and corrosion resistance of AZ91D magnesium alloy, Zr-based coating made of Zr powder was fabricated on AZ91D magnesium alloy by laser cladding. The microstructure of the coating was characterized by XRD, SEM and TEM techniques. The wear resistance of the coating was evaluated under dry sliding wear test condition at room temperature. The corrosion resistance of the coating was tested in simulated body fluid. The results show that the coating mainly consists of Zr, zirconium oxides and Zr aluminides. The coating exhibits excellent wear resistance due to the high microhardness of the coating. The main wear mechanism of the coating and the AZ91D sample are different, the former is abrasive wear and the latter is adhesive wear. The coating compared to AZ91D magnesium alloy exhibits good corrosion resistance because of the good corrosion resistance of Zr, zirconium oxides and Zr aluminides in the coating.