Zinc alloys containing the hard phase are expected to have a high wear resistance. In this study, the effects of Al and Si of zinc alloys on the bearing performance under conditions of boundary lubrication have been investigated. A thrust type wear testing machine was used in the test.
The best wear resistance of Zn alloys was observed in a Zn alloy containing 10%Al and 1%Si by measuring the load carrying capacity. After wear testing of the Zn alloy containing Al and Si, the worn surface was covered by a thin layer around 1 μm in thickness. This thin layer was rich in silicon and poor in aluminum as compared with the inner part of the specimen. It is concluded that the stable thin layer has a good wear resistance for the zinc bearing alloy.