Objective The friction and wear behaviors of the ZA43 alloy MAO ceramic films were studied with the variation of the oxidation time. Methods The ball-wear plate method was used to conduct the friction and wear experiment, the morphology, phase composition and elements of the ceramic films after the wear test were analyzed, and the thickness and the microhardness were measured. Results The results showed that the ceramic films were mainly made up of a phase composition of α-alumina and γ-alumina, and the thickness and average hardness increased with oxidation time; under dry friction condition, the friction coefficient and the weight loss caused by wear of the ceramic films decreased with the oxidation time. Conclusion With the extension of oxidation time, the wear resistance of the ZA43 alloy MAO ceramic films gradually increased, and the wear mechanism was mainly abrasive wear.