Experimental evaluation of a silicone oil as an oxidation inhibitor for magnesium alloy under contact sliding at elevated temperatures

Abstract: This paper experimentally investigated the effects of silicone oil on the tribological behaviour of AZ31B/86CrMoV7 contact pair under a pin-on-disk configuration. A commercial silicone oil was used as an oxidation inhibiter for the AZ31B at elevated temperatures to 300 oC. The wear mechanism of the contact pair was explored by SEM morphologies of worn surfaces. The analysis revealed that silicone oil can effectively minimize surface oxidation. Compared with dry sliding, silicone oil can considerably lower down the friction coefficient and specific wear rate. Under lubrication, the abrasive wear at a lower temperature can transit to the combined wear of abrasion, fatigue and adhesion when the temperature rises.