Rational design, synthesis and prospect of biodegradable magnesium alloy vascular stents

Biodegradable magnesium(Mg) alloys are expected to be promising materials for cardiovascular stents(CVS), which can avoid the longterm clinical problems of current CVS, such as in-stent restenosis, late stent thrombosis, etc. Mg alloy stents exhibit superior biocompatibility and tunable biodegradability, compared with conventional permanent metallic stents. However, the poor formability and non-uniform corrosion of Mg alloy stents hinder their clinical application of CVS. This review focuses on the development of Mg alloys for CVS in recent years.According to the results of bibliometric analysis, we analyzed different biodegradable Mg alloy systems. Moreover, the structural design strategies for Mg alloy stents that can reduce the stress concentration, as well as the surface modification methods to control the corrosion behavior and biological performance of Mg alloy stents are also highlighted. At last, this review systematically discussed the potential directions and challenges of biodegradable magnesium stents(BMgS) in cardiovascular fields.

High temperature formability of graphene nanoplatelets-AZ31 composites fabricated by stir-casting method

Outstanding mechanical properties of graphene nanoplatelets(GNPs)make them ideal reinforcement for mass production of composites.In this research,the composites were fabricated by stir-casting method.GNPs were added in 1.5 and 3.0 wt.%into Mg–3wt.%Al–1wt.%Zn(AZ31)magnesium alloy.As cast ingots were preheated for one hour and extruded at 350℃ with extrusion ratio of 5.2:1.As extruded AZ31-GNPs composites were micro-structurally characterized with X-ray diffraction,optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy.Vickers microhardness of synthesized materials was investigated both in parallel and perpendicular to extrusion directions.Room temperature mechanical testing revealed that with increasing GNP’s content,tensile fracture strain was remarkably increased without significant compromise in tensile strength.Furthermore,as extruded AZ31-3GNPs composites were subjected to tensile testing at temperatures ranging from 75℃ to 300℃ with initial strain rate of 2×10^(−3)s^(−1) to evaluate high temperature formability of composite.It was found that like CNTs,GNPs also have the potential to sustain tensile strength at high temperatures.

A novel approach to melt purification of magnesium alloys

A novel low-cost method for melt purification of magnesium alloys,the melt self-purifying technology(MSPT),has been developed successfully based on a low temperature melt treatment(LTMT)without adding any fluxes.The iron solubility in the molten liquid of magnesium and its alloys,and the settlement velocity of iron particles were calculated.It is shown that the low temperature melt treatment is an effective method to decrease the impurity Fe content in magnesium and its alloys.Without any additions,the Fe content in the AZ31 alloy was reduced to 15 ppm from the initial 65 ppm,and the Fe content in the AZ61 melt was decreased to 20 ppm from the initial 150 ppm after the low temperature melt treatment.The results also showed that the Fe content in AM60 and AM50 dropped to 15 and 18 ppm,respectively,from the initial 150 ppm after the low temperature melt treatment.For ZK 60,the Fe content in the melt down to less than 5 ppm was achieved.After the low temperature melt treatment,the Si content in the above alloys was also decreased obviously.

A review on electromagnetic shielding magnesium alloys

Electromagnetic waves generated by electronic equipment are widely present in all living and working spaces because of the rapid development of electronic products and frequent use of digital systems.Electromagnetic shielding is an effective method of protection against these waves.Therefore,the demand for materials with high electromagnetic shielding properties has remarkably increased.Magnesium(Mg)alloys,as potential electromagnetic shielding materials,have sparked great interest worldwide.This review highlights the effects of grain size,texture,alloying elements and second phase on the shielding properties of Mg alloys.Recent progress on the shielding properties of Mg–Zn,Mg–Al,Mg–RE and other new shielding Mg alloys is then summarised,and the successful design of Mg alloys with superior electromagnetic shielding properties,such as Mg–Zn–Y–Ce–Zr,Mg–Sn–Zn–Ca–Ce,Mg–Gd–Y–Zn–Zr and Mg-based composite materials,is described.Finally,this review provides insights into the future development and applications of Mg alloys with superior shielding properties.

Strain hardening behavior of Mg-Y alloys after extrusion process

The strain hardening is an effective mode of enhancing mechanical properties in alloys.In this work,the strain hardening behaviors of Mg-xY(x=1,2,and 3 wt%)after extrusion process was investigated using uniaxial tensile tests.Results suggest that the Mg-xY alloys are composed ofα-Mg with a little amount of Mg24Y5 phase.The average grain size reduces from 19.8μm to 12.2μm as the Y content adds from 1 wt%to 2 wt%.Nevertheless,when Y content reaches 3 wt%,the grain size reaches to 12.9μm,which is close to that of Mg-2Y.The strain hardening rate decreases from 883 MPa to 798 MPa at(σ-σ0.2)=40 MPa,and Mg-2Y and Mg-3Y have the similar strain hardening response.Moreover,Mg-1Y shows an obvious ascending stage after the steep decreasing stage,which is mainly caused by the activation of twinning.The strain hardening behavior of Mg-xY is explained based on understanding the roles of the deformation mechanisms via deformation microstructure analysis and Visco-Plastic Self Consistent(VPSC)model.The variation of strain hardening characteristics with increasing Y content is related to the effects of grain size and texture.

Review of Mg alloy corrosion rates

A review of the literature confirmed that the intrinsic corrosion rate of high-purity Mg as measured by weight-loss is 0.3mm/y in a concentrated chloride solution.Atmospheric corrosion of Mg alloys has produced corrosion rates of Mg-Al alloys an order of magnitude lower than the intrinsic corrosion rate of Mg in a concentrated chloride solution of 0.3 mm/y.The only successful strategy to produce a Mg alloy with a corrosion rate in a concentrated chloride solution substantially less than the intrinsic corrosion rate as measured by weight loss of Mg of 0.3 mm/y has been to improve the protectiveness of the corrosion product film.

The effects of Ca and Mn on the microstructure,texture and mechanical properties of Mg-4 Zn alloy

The microstructural evolution,texture and mechanical properties of nine Mg-4Zn-xCa-yMn alloys(x=0.3,0.6,1.0;y=0.2,0.3,0.7 wt.%)were investigated systematically.Alloying with Ca and Mn refined the grains of the extruded sheets and increased the unDRX fraction.Mn could be the heterogeneous nucleation site of Ca2Mg6Zn3 phase because of a good atom matching at the orientation relationship of(211)_(Mn)//(1211)_(Ca2Mg6Zn3),(251)_(Mn)//〈1103〉_(Ca2Mg6Zn3).The traditional texture weakening effect of Ca was strongly decreased for the simultaneously addition of Mn.With increasing Ca and Mn concentration,the strength increased and ductility decreased.Mg-4Zn-0.6Ca-0.7Mn exhibited a good combination of ultimate tensile strength(320 MPa),yield strength(286 MPa)and elongation(16%).A model of strengthening indicated that grain boundary strengthening and precipitate strengthening made a large contribution to the strength of Mg-4Zn-0.6Ca-0.7Mn.In addition,the dynamic recrystallization,texture modification and the strengthening effect from different parts also have been analyzed in detail.

Microstructures and mechanical properties of titanium-reinforced magnesium matrix composites: Review and perspective

Currently, many gratifying signs of progress have been made in magnesium(Mg) matrix composites(MMCs) by virtue of their high mechanical properties both at room and elevated temperatures. Although the commonly used reinforcements in MMCs are ceramic particles,they often provide improved yield and ultimate stresses by a significant loss in ductility. Therefore, hard metallic phases were introduced as alternative candidates for the manufacturing of MMCs, especially titanium(Ti). It has a high melting point, high Young’s modulus, high plasticity, low level of mutual solubility with Mg matrix, and closer thermal expansion coefficient to that of Mg metal than that of ceramic particles. It is highly preferable to provide both high ultimate stress and ductility in Mg matrix. However, many critical challenges for the fabrication of Ti-reinforced MMCs remain, such as Ti’s homogeneity, low recovery rate, and the optimization of interfacial bonding strength between Mg and Ti, etc. Meanwhile, different fabrication methods have various effects on the microstructures, mechanical properties, and the interfacial strength of Ti-reinforced MMCs. Hence, this review placed emphasis on the microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties of Ti-reinforced MMCs fabricated by different techniques. The influencing factors that govern the strengthening mechanisms were systematically compared and discussed. Future research trends, key issues, and prospects were also proposed to develop Ti-reinforced MMCs.

Corrosion behavior of magnesium-graphene composites in sodium chloride solutions

Coating of graphene and graphene/polymer composites on metals improves the corrosion resistance of metal substrates.On other hand,graphene embedded inside metal(especially Mg)matrices increases or decreases corrosion,is a crucial factor and must be explored.In present study,electrochemical behaviors of magnesium alloys(AZ31 and AZ61)and their composites reinforced with graphene nanoplatelets(GNPs)were carried out in 3.5%NaCl solution by polarization method.The surface morphology of composites before and after corrosion tests were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy.Experimental results revealed that presence of graphene nanoplatelets in different matrices decrease corrosion resistance of composites.This may be attributed to presence of graphene nanoplatelets which activates the corrosion of magnesium/alloys due to the occurrence of galvanic corrosion and this effect increases with increasing graphene nanoplatelets content.Further,an appropriate model describing the corrosion mechanism was proposed.

Inhibitory effect of parvovirus H-1 on the formation of colonies of human hepatoma cell line in vitro and its tumors in nude mice

The inhibitory effect of parvovirus H-1 on the colonyforming ability in vitro of QGY-7703, a cultured human hepatoma cell line, and on the formation and growth of its tumors in nude mice was studied. With higher multiplicity of infection (MOI) of H-1 given, survival of the QGY-7703 cells was found to be decreased. H-1 DNA amplification level at 30 h postinfection(p.i.) was detected to be 7.4 times higher than that at 2 h by dispersed cells assay, while the cells were delayed to enter into S phase.Plaques were formed in the indicator cells (new-born human kidney cell line, NBK) by progeny H-1 virus particles released from the infected QGY-7703 cells by infectious cell center assay. The formation of tumors in nude mice by QGY-7703 cells which were injected s c at 2 h postinfection was observed to be prevented in 2 groups with given MOI 25 and 50. The tumor growth of MOI 10 group occurred at a lower exponential rate than that of control,after a 20 d latent period. It was evident that parvovirus H-1 exhibited a direct inhibitory effect on the formation and growth of human hepatoma cells in vivo as well as in vitro.

A special editor's issue on Mg-based functional materials:Design and development

Magnesium(Mg),which offers an ideal combination of numerous appealing properties,such as low density,low cost,high hydrogen storage capacity,good biocompatibility,and excellent electromagnetic shielding capacity,among others,has been the key candidate for use in the future of functional materials[1].Many endeavors have been carried out for the development of Mg-based functional materials.

Microstructure,mechanical properties and wear resistance of Ti particles reinforced AZ31 magnesium matrix composites

The compromise between strength and plasticity has greatly limited the potential application of particles reinforced magnesium matrix composites(MMCs).In this work,the Ti particles reinforced AZ31 magnesium(Mg)matrix composites achieved simultaneous improvement in strength,elongation and wear resistance.The Ti particles reinforced AZ31 composites were fabricated by ultrasonic-assisted stir casting with hot extrusion.The results showed that a strong interfacial bonding was obtained at Ti/Mg interface because of the formation of semicoherent orientation relationship of Ti Al/Mg,Ti Al/Al_(2)Ti and Al_(2)Ti/Mg interfaces.The as-extruded 6 wt.%Ti/AZ31 composite presented the best compressive mechanical properties and wear resistance with ultimate tensile strength,elongation and wear rate of 327 MPa,20.4%and 9.026×10^(-3)mm^(3)/m,obviously higher than those of AZ31 alloys.The enhanced mechanical properties were attributed to the grain refinement and strong interfacial bonding.The improved wear resistance was closely related to the increased hardness of composites and the formation of protective oxidation films.

Interfacial Reaction of Ti6Al4V Lattice Structure-Reinforced VW92 Alloy Matrix Composites

A novel melting infiltration by ultrasonic vibration was investigated and applied to fabricate Ti6Al4V(TC4)lattice structure-reinforced Mg-10Gd-2Y-1Zn-xZr(refer to VW92 hereafter,x=0,0.5 wt%)alloy matrix composites.The edge-to-edge matching model indicates that the well-matching and possible orientation relationships(ORs)between theα-Mg andα-Ti,[10-10]_(α-Mg)//[11-23]_(α-Ti) in(0002)_(α-Mg)//(10-10)_(α-Ti) possesses the smallest misfit of 0.4%(f_(r)),and thus theα-Mg grains can nucleate on the TC4 lattice structure.Interfacial reaction occurred in the TC4/VW92+0.5 wt%Zr composites,and the reaction product was confirmed to be Al_(2)Zr_(3),AlZr_(2) andα-Ti(Zr)particles formed by continuous solution of Zr-Ti.Among the interfacial products,the AlZr_(2) phase is a brittle phase with high-volume fraction,which is not conducive to the load transfer.But generally speaking,theα-Ti(Zr)and theα-Mg tend to form a coherent interface,which is beneficial for improving the interfacial bonding strength of composites.

A First-principles Study on the Adhesion Strength,Interfacial Stability,and Electronic Properties of Mg/Mg_(2)Y Interface

The interfacial microstructures and configurations directly affect the comprehensive properties of the composites,but their interfacial adhesion mechanism is complicated to expound by experimental methods.In this work,based on the stacking sequence of the Mg/Mg_(2)Y interface models,nine different Mg/Mg_(2)Y interface configurations with top site,bridge site,and hollow site(HCP)under Mg1,Mg_(2),and Y terminations were successfully constructed and systematically explored by first-principles calculations.The results showed that the Mg_(2)Y(0001)surface with Y termination is the most stable when the yttrium chemical potential()is less than-1.09 eV;otherwise,Mg_(2)Y(0001)surface with Mg1 termination is the most stable.The seven-layer Mg(0001)and eleven-layer Mg_(2)Y(0001)slabs are employed to reflect the bulk-like interior properties.Additionally,the Mg(0001)/Mg_(2)Y(0001)with the Y-HCP stacking has the largest interface thermodynamic stability with the value of 2.383 J/m^(2) in all interface configurations owing to its largest work of adhesion.In addition,the interfacial energy of Y-HCP stacking is significantly smaller than those of Mg1-HCP when is approximately less than-0.55 eV,showing that it is more stable.The thermodynamic stability of Mg/Mg_(2)Y with Y-HCP is due to Mg-Y chemical bonds formed between Mg and Y atoms.Lastly,the Mg/Mg_(2)Y interfaces are strong interfaces based on the Griffith fracture theory.

Aging Behavior of As-Extruded Ti Particles Reinforced VW94 Composites

The ageing behavior of as-extruded Ti_(P)/VW94 composites was investigated.The peak hardness of the composites increases compared to the matrix alloy and the 5%Ti_(P)/VW94 composite presents the highest peak hardness of 148.7 HV after aging for about 50 h.However,the hardness increments first decrease and then slightly increase with increasing Ti particle content due to the introduction of high-density dislocations by Ti particles.

A Special Editor’s Issue on Magnesium Matrix Composites

Magnesium(Mg)alloys offer distinct advantages as one of the lightest structural metals.Their remarkable weight advantages,being 35%lighter than aluminum alloy and a striking 78%lighter than steel,make them a focal point for research in automotive and aerospace applications.This emphasis stems from the overarching goal of reducing energy costs and enhancing overall performance[1,2].

Effect of Zn on mechanical and corrosion properties of Mg-Sc-Zn alloys

The effect of different Zn concentrations(0 wt.%,1 wt.%,3 wt.%,and 6 wt.%)on the microstructure,cor-rosion property,and mechanical property of Mg-0.3Sc-x Zn(x=0 wt.%,1 wt.%,3 wt.%,and 6 wt.%)alloys was investigated.Here,MSZ1 alloy exhibits the highest corrosion resistance(0.194 mm/y)and appropriate mechanical properties with an ultimate tensile strength of 228 MPa and elongation of 19%.The superior corrosion resistance of Mg-0.3Sc-1Zn alloys is attributed to the homogeneous volta-potential distribution and the dense corrosion product film.With the increase in zinc content,the strength and plasticity of Mg-0.3Sc-x Zn alloys(x=0 wt.%,1 wt.%,3 wt.%,6 wt.%)improved to some extent.The precipitated ScZn phase plays the role of the second phase strengthening,which enables MSZ6 to obtain the maximum tensile strength.However,the ScZn phase with low volta potential intensifies the galvanic corrosion,re-sulting in the decline of the corrosion performance.

Achieving Excellent Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Effectiveness in High Rare Earth Mg-12Gd-3Y alloy via Nd Addition Combined with Hot Rolling and Aging

Achieving excellent electromagnetic interference(EMI)shielding effectiveness(SE)in high rare earth(RE)-content Mg alloys is currently a significant technical challenge.This work systematically investigated the effects of different Nd elements on the electrical conductivity and EMI SE of Mg-12Gd-3Y-xNd alloy by adding Nd elements to the high RE content Mg-12Gd-3Y alloy,followed by a combined process of hot rolling and aging(R-A).The results indicate that the addition of Nd elements leads to reduced solid solubility of Gd and Y,resulting in a large amount of precipitation.The Mg-12Gd-3Y-2.0Nd alloy has the optimum EMI SE after 63%R-A treatment,reaching 88-118 dB at 30-1500 MHz.The Mg-12Gd-3Y-xNd alloy has acicular and granular forms of the Mg5(Gd,Y,Nd)(abbreviated as Mg5RE)phase after R-A treatment.The granular Mg5RE phase gradually breaks up and refines into more minor scales with increasing rolling reduction and is diffusely distributed in the matrix.The acicular Mg5RE phase is densely arranged,with cross-distribution in some areas.The cross-distributed acicular Mg5RE phase,the delicate granular Mg5RE phase,and the denseβ′phase provide more interfaces for reflecting electromagnetic waves and increase the multiple reflection loss of incident electromagnetic waves.In addition,the Mg-12Gd-3Y-xNd alloy deflects most of the c-axis of the grains parallel to the normal direction(ND)as the rolling reduction increases,making the impedance difference between the plate surface and air larger.The increased impedance makes the material reflect more loss to incident electromagnetic waves.The combined use of these two leads to an excellent EMI SE of Mg-12Gd-3Y-xNd with high RE content after R-A treatment.

Aging properties and aging mechanism of activated waste rubber powder modified asphalt binder based on rheological properties and micro-characterization

The research and development of high-performance pavement materials has been intensified owing to the demand for long-life pavements.This study is performed to develop a novel pavement material using waste rubber powder,waste lubricating by-product(LBP),and asphalt.Subsequently,the aging properties and aging mechanism of activated waste rubber powder modified asphalt(ARMA)are investigated based on its rheological properties and microcharacterization.The rheological results show that,compared with waste rubber powder modified asphalt(RMA),ARMA offers a higher aging resistance and a longer fatigue life.A comparison and analysis of the rheological aging parameters of ARMA and RMA show that LBP activation diminishes the aging sensitivity of ARMA.The microcharacterization result shows that the aging of ARMA may be caused by the fact that LBP-activated waste rubber powder is more reactive and can form a dense colloidal structure with asphalt.Therefore,the evaporation loss of asphalt light components by heat and the damage to the colloidal structure by oxygen during the aging process are impeded,and the thermal-oxidative aging resistance of ARMA is improved.

Annealing hardening effect aroused by solute segregation in gradient ultrafine-grained Mg-Gd-Zr alloy

In this study,a remarkable annealing hardening effect was detected in gradient ultrafine-grained(UFG)Mg-0.32Gd-0.11Zr(at.%)alloy sheet fabricated by sliding friction treatment(SFT).Under the precipitation-free condition,the annealed UFG structure shows an obvious hardness increment from 1.40 GPa to 1.89 GPa after 200℃ heating for 12 h,which exhibits a much higher hardening response than the annealed coarse-grained(CG)structure.The high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission elec-tron microscopy(HAADF-STEM)and elemental mapping reveal prominent segregation of solute Gd atoms along grain boundaries,which endows the UFG structure with excellent grain boundary stability.More-over,Gd segregation is also found around the extrinsic stacking fault(E-SFs)and the low-angle grain boundaries composed of edge dislocations.The large-scale solute partitioning provides a significant seg-regation hardening effect,which completely resists the softening effect aroused by the grain coarsening and dislocation annihilation.This work realizes a good combination of surface mechanical processing for fabricating UFGs and subsequent heat treatment,which earns desirable segregation hardening effects.