Mechanical properties of plasma-sprayed layers of aluminium and aluminium alloy on AZ 91

Magnesium alloys are promising materials thanks to their high specific strength and stiffness. However, their wide application is discouraged by their low resistance to wear and very low resistance to corrosion. Plasma-spraying technology makes it possible to prepare protective metal and non-metal coatings. In this work, 450 μm thick and 490 μm thick plasma-spray coatings of commercially pure (CP) aluminium and aluminium alloy AlCr6Fe2 were prepared on magnesium alloy AZ91. The adhesion strength of plasma-sprayed aluminium was about 19 MPa, while the aluminium alloy showed an adhesion strength of about 12 MPa. Plasma-sprayed coatings improved the wear resistance of the AZ91 surface up to four times.