The effects of different Gd additions on wear behavior of the T6 heat treated Mg–xGd–3Y–0.5Zr alloys were investigated. The wear tests were carried out using a Ball-on-flat type wear apparatus against an AISI 52100 type bearing steel ball counterface in the load range of 3–15 N, sliding speed range of 0.03–0.18 m/s, temperature range of 25–200 °C and at a constant sliding distance of 400 m. The results showed that the wear rate of the tested alloys increased with increasing sliding load. By increasing the wear temperature to 200 °C, the wear rate of the Mg–6Gd–3Y–0.5Zr alloy decreased by about 24%. At higher wear speeds, wear resistance of the alloys increased due to the formation of stable oxide layers on the worn surfaces. The alloy containing 12 wt% Gd exhibited higher wear resistance compared with the alloys containing lower Gd contents under the same conditions.
