Effects of Rare Earth Pr/Ce on Tribological Behavior of ADC12 Alloy

The microstructure and microhardness of ADC12 alloy that was mixed with 0,0.3,0.6,and 0.9 wt.% rare earth praseodymium/cerium (Pr/Ce) were studied.The addition of Pr/Ce improved the microhardness of the alloys.The ADC12+0.6 wt% Pr/Ce alloy displayed the smallest grain size and maximal microhardness.The tribological behavior of the alloys was tested by the pin-on-disc dry sliding friction pair with a sliding velocity of 0.21 m/s under various loads (20,40,60,80 N).The wear morphology was observed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the wear mechanism was discussed.The result indicated that the wear resistance of ADC12+0.6 wt% Pr/Ce alloy was the most optimal.The wear rate relative to the matrix is reduced by 67.5% under a load of 20 N.The wear mechanism is adhesive wear.