This paper investigates wear and friction in 2 wt.% Al2O3 nanocomposite content of pure Mg and AZ91D Mg alloys. Sliding tests were performed at 0.5 and 1.5 m/s under normal stress up to 2000 m sliding distance (0.5, 1.0, and 1 MPa). Material hardness and hot-compression flow curves were used to assess work hardness at contact-surface temperatures. Pure Mg and AZ91D Mg alloys showed low wear resistance due to increased contact temperature. Nanocomposite materials exhibited significantly lower wear rates, attributed to nanoparticle strengthening. Wear mechanisms involve grain refinement, enhanced wear capacity, and dislocation resistance, with nanoparticles as the primary contributor to wear resilience. © 2022 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.