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Influence of Microstructure on Scratch-Induced Deformation Mechanisms in AZ80 Magnesium Alloy

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Abstract

Indentation scratch-induced wear in Mg-8 wt% Al-0.5 wt% Zn (AZ80) alloy is investigated in this study for solution-treated and peak-aged conditions. Aged alloy exhibited higher wear resistance, with 12–14 % reduction in wear volume. This is attributed to enhanced microstructural resistance to scratch wear due to precipitate phase. Ploughing was found to be the dominating material removal mechanism for both solution-treated and aged specimens. Microcutting was also active in solution-treated alloy, but not in aged alloy due to the presence of brittle Mg17Al12 intermetallic particles in the microstructure. The localized stresses induced by indenter tip were found to exceed theoretical shear strength for magnesium crystal, resulting in intergranular as well as transgranular fracture phenomena. Cracks were more prominent in aged alloy, which is ascribed to the suppression of twinning activity in aged alloy, resulting in non-fulfilment of von Mises criterion of plastic deformation. Scratch-induced plastic flow was more pronounced in solution-treated alloy, with twinning as the major plasticity mechanism.

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Acknowledgments

Jayant Jain acknowledges the financial support received from Science and Engineering Research Board, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India (Project No.: RP02797). The authors would like to thank Prof. Warren J. Poole of University of British Columbia for supplying the AZ80 alloy. The authors thank Mr. Anuz Zindal (IIT Delhi) for performing heat treatment of alloy specimens used in this study. We are grateful to Dr. Thomas Chudoba (ASMEC, Germany) for providing useful inputs for nanoindentation scratch testing parameters. Overall support of the Department of Applied Mechanics (IIT Delhi) for research supplies and maintenance of the research facilities is also acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Materials Characterization Laboratory, Department of Applied Mechanics, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, 110016, India

    Pranjal Nautiyal & Jayant Jain

  2. Nanomechanics and Nanotribology Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33174, USA

    Pranjal Nautiyal & Arvind Agarwal

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  1. Pranjal Nautiyal
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  2. Jayant Jain
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  3. Arvind Agarwal
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Correspondence to Arvind Agarwal.

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Nautiyal, P., Jain, J. & Agarwal, A. Influence of Microstructure on Scratch-Induced Deformation Mechanisms in AZ80 Magnesium Alloy. Tribol Lett 61, 29 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11249-016-0649-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11249-016-0649-z

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