Effects of small additions of Zn on the microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of WE43B Mg alloys

Zn is a commonly used alloying element for Mg alloys owing to its beneficial effects on mechanical properties. To improve the mechanical and corrosion properties of WE43B Mg alloys, the effects of 0–0.7wt% Zn addition on the microstructure and properties of sample alloys were investigated. Addition of Zn to as-cast WE43B alloy promoted the formation of the Mg12Nd phase;by contrast, after T6 heat treatment, the phase composition of WE43B alloys with and without Zn addition remained mostly the same. A long-period stacking ordered phase was predicted by CALPHAD calculation, but this phase was not observed in either the as-cast or heat-treated Zn-containing WE43B alloys. The optimum temperature and duration of T6 heat treatment were obtained using CALPHAD calculations and hardness measurements. Addition of Zn resulted in a slight reduction in the average grain size of the as-cast and T6 heat-treated WE43B alloys and endowed them with increased corrosion resistance with little effect on their mechanical properties.

Microstructure and mechanical and corrosion properties of hot-extruded Mg–Zn–Ca–(Mn)biodegradable alloys

Biodegradable Mg-based implants are widely used in clinical applications because they exhibit mechanical properties comparable to those of human bone and require no revision surgery for their removal.Among Mg-based alloys,Mg–Zn–Ca–(Mn)alloys have been extensively investigated for medical applications because the constituent elements of these alloys,Mg,Zn,Ca,and Mn,are present in human tissues as nutrient elements.In this study,we investigated the effect of the hot extrusion temperature on the microstructure,mechanical properties,and biodegradation rate of Mg–Zn–Ca–(Mn)alloys.The results showed that the addition of Mn and a decrease in the extrusion temperature resulted in grain refinement followed by an increase in the strength and a decrease in the elongation at fracture of the alloys.The alloys showed different mechanical properties along the directions parallel and perpendicular to the extrusion direction.The corrosion test of the alloys in the Hanks’solution revealed that the addition of Mn significantly reduced the corrosion rate of the alloys.The Mg–2 wt%Zn–0.7 wt%Ca–1 wt%Mn alloy hot-extruded at 300℃ with an ultimate tensile strength of 278MPa,an yield strength of 229MPa,an elongation at fracture of 10%,and a corrosion rate of 0.3 mm/year was found to be suitable for orthopedic implants.

Influence of Zr and Mn additions on microstructure and properties of Mg-2.5wt%Cu-Xwt%Zn(X=2.5,5 and 6.5)alloys

This work studied the effects of adding Zr and Mn in amounts less than 1wt%on the microstructure,mechanical properties,casting properties,and corrosion resistance of Mg-Zn-Cu alloys containing 2.5wt%Cu and 2.5wt%-6.5wt%Zn.The hardness and electrical conductivity measurements were used to find an optimal heat treatment schedule with the best mechanical properties.It has been established that Zr significantly increases the yield strength of the alloys due to a strong grain refinement effect.However,the presence of Mn and Zr has a detrimental effect on alloy’s elongation at fracture.It was shown that the precipitation of the Mg_(2)Cu cathodic phase in the alloy structure negatively affects the corrosion behavior.Nevertheless,the addition of Mn decreases the corrosion rate of the investigated alloys.The best combination of the mechanical,casting,and corrosion properties were achieved in the alloys containing 2.5wt%Cu and 5wt%Zn.However,the Mn or Zr addition can improve the properties of the alloys;for example,the addition of Mn or Zr increases the fluidity of the alloys.

Gallium-containing magnesium alloy for potential use as temporary implants in osteosynthesis

In recent years magnesium alloys have been studied intensively with a view to their potential use in bioresorbable medical implants.In the present work the microstructure and the corrosion properties of a new bioresorbable Mg-4 wt%Ga-4 wt%Zn alloy and its variants with low Ca,Nd or Y additions were investigated.These alloys are of interest due to the efficacy of gallium as an element inhibiting bone resorption,osteoporosis,Paget's disease,and other illnesses.A severe plastic deformation technique of equal channel angular pressing(ECAP)was shown to provide the alloys with favorable mechanical properties.In addition,a desirable low rate of degradation in a simulated body fluid(Hanks'solution)was achieved.