Initial formation of corrosion products on pure zinc in simulated body fluid

Zinc was recently suggested to be a potential candidate material for degradable coronary artery stent. The corrosion behavior of pure zinc exposed to r-SBF up to 336?h was investigated by electrochemical measurements and immersion tests. The morphology and chemical composites of the corrosion products were investigated by scanning electron microscope, grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. The results demonstrate that the initial corrosion products on the pure zinc mainly consist of zinc oxide/hydroxide and zinc/calcium phosphate compounds. The pure Zn encounters uniform corrosion with an estimated corrosion rate of 0.02–0.07?mm?y^?1 during the immersion, which suggests the suitability of pure Zn for biomedical applications.     

Effect of corrosion on mechanical behaviors of Mg-Zn-Zr alloy in simulated body fluid

The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of corrosion on mechanical behaviors of the Mg-Zn-Zr alloy immersed in simulated body fluid （SBF） with different immersion times. The corrosion behavior of the materials in SBF was determined by immersion tests. The surfaces of the corroded alloys were examined by SEM. The tensile samples of the extruded Mg-2Zn-0.8Zr magnesium alloy were immersed in the SBF for 0, 4, 7, 10, 14, 21 and 28 d. The tensile mechanical behaviors of test samples were performed on an electronic tensile testing machine. SEM was used to observe the fracture morphology. It was found that with extension of the immersion time, the ultimate tensile strength （UTS）, yield strength （YS） and elongation （EL） of the Mg-2Zn-0.8Zr samples decreased rapidly at first and then decreased slowly. The main fracture mechanism of the alloy transformed from ductile fracture to cleavage fracture with the increasing immersion times, which can be attributed to stress concentration and embrittlement caused by pit corrosion.     

Extremely high pitting resistance of NiTi shape memory alloy thin film in simulated body fluids

In this paper the corrosion behavior of NiTi thin films fabricated by sputtering from Ni and Ti targets has been studied by cyclic potentiodynamic polarization tests in Hank's and Ringer's solution at 310 K. For comparison, bulk NiTi Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) has also been studied to elucidate the different corrosion behavior of bulk and thin film material. The electrochemical experiments reveal that thin film NiTi SMA has comparable corrosion current density (i_corr), much higher pitting corrosion potentials and wider passive range than the bulk NiTi. We show that NiTi SMA vapour deposited thin films are less susceptible to pitting corrosion than the bulk.     

In vitro degradation behavior of M1A magnesium alloy in protein-containing simulated body fluid

Magnesium alloys possess unique advantages to be used as biodegradable implants for clinical applications. In this study, in vitro cells responses and degradation behaviors of magnesium alloy M1A in simulated body fluid (SBF) and albumin-containing SBF (A-SBF) were systematically investigated. Cell responses, in terms of Cell morphology and cell proliferation, imply that M1A possesses good viability for MG63 cells. The corrosion behaviors of M1A are strongly affected by the addition of albumin through the combined effects of adsorption and chelation. Electrochemical testing indicates that such an absorbed albumin layer makes M1A to be more noble with a smaller corrosion current. Corrosion rate monitored by hydrogen evolution rate suggests that the quickly adsorbed albumin serves as an effective protective layer, resulting in a much slower hydrogen release rate at initial stage. With increasing immersion time, a higher corrosion rate is observed since the chelation effect exerts more significant acceleration effects on the removal of the passivation layer. The corrosion mode evaluated by surface morphology of the samples changes from a nonuniform-anisotropic mode for M1A in SBF to a uniform-isotropic mode for M1A in A-SBF.     

Microstructure evolution of Al-Mg alloy during solidification under high pressure

The microstructure of Al-21.6Mg alloy solidified under high pressure was investigated. The results show that the amount of β-Al₃Mg₂ phase decreases with increasing pressure and a supersaturated Al(Mg) solid solution is formed under 2 GPa. The distribution of Mg in the solid solution is inhomogeneous, causing peak asymmetry of the XRD patterns under high pressures. The Mg concentration in the interdendritic region extends up to about 30 at.%, which is higher than that in the dendrite. Besides solution treatment, mechanical alloying, mechanical deformation of pre-alloy ingots and rapid solidification, solidification under high pressure is proved to be a new way to prepare supersaturated Al(Mg) solid solution.     

Microstructure and corrosion behaviour of FeCoNiCuSnx high entropy alloys

Abstract

The FeCoNiCuSn_x alloys with different Sn contents are prepared, the microstructure and the corrosion behaviour of the alloys are investigated. When Sn content is lower than 0.09, FeCoNiCuSn_x alloys consist of a single FCC phase. While Sn content of the alloy is 0.09, a small quantity of BCC structure is present. The FeCoNiCuSn_x alloys have a wider passive region in the NaOH solution. FeCoNiCuSn_x alloys exhibit a better corrosion resistance in NaCl solution than 304 stainless steel, the corrosion resistance of FeCoNiCuSn_0.04 alloy is best among all the alloys. The corrosion resistance of FeCoNiCuSn_x alloys in NaOH solution is lower than that of 304 stainless steel, the corrosion resistance of FeCoNiCuSn_0.03 alloy is best among all FeCoNiCuSn_x alloys.     

Research on the microstructure,fatigue and corrosion behavior of permanent mold and die cast aluminum alloy

Permanent mold (PM) and high pressure die cast (HPDC) AlMg5Si2Mn are employed to investigate the microstructure, fatigue strength and corrosion resistance. Results indicated that the mechanical properties (R_m, R_0.2 and δ) of HPDC specimens (314 MPa, 189 MPa and 7.3%) are significantly better than those of PM specimens (160 MPa, 111 MPa and 2.5%) due to the finer grain size and less cast defects. Fatigue cracks of PM samples dominantly initiated from shrinkage pores and obscure fatigue striations are observed in crack growth region. Corrosion and pitting potentials of PM and HPDC AlMg5Si2Mn alloy are around −1250 mV, −760 mV and −1220 mV, −690 mV respectively. Numerous pits are observed around the grain boundaries because the corrosion potential of Mg₂Si is more anodic than that of α-Al matrix. In addition, the superior corrosion resistance of HPDC samples can be attributed to the fine grain size and the high boundary density which improved the formation of oxide layer on the surface and prevented further corrosion.     

Influence of remelting on microstructure,hardness and corrosion behaviour of AlCoCrFeNiTi high entropy alloy

Abstract

High entropy alloys are a newly developed class of alloys, which tend to form a single solid solution or a mixture of solid solutions with simple crystal structures. These alloys possess excellent mechanical properties, thermal stability and corrosion resistance. In the present paper, an AlCoCrFeNiTi high entropy alloy was obtained by induction melting, and the influence of the remelting process on the mechanical and corrosion resistance characteristics of the alloy was investigated. Thus, optical and scanning electron microscopy revealed less phase segregation and a fine dendritic structure for the remelted alloy, while corrosion tests indicated that present alloy, in remelted state, has better corrosion resistance than as cast alloy and stainless steel. The Vickers microhardness measurements demonstrated an improvement of the alloy microhardness by remelting process due to the decrease in phase segregation and the increase in dendrite refinement level.     

Grain boundary statistics in nano-structured iron produced by high pressure torsion

The microstructure and the spectrum of grain boundary misorientations were studied in Armco iron, following high pressure torsion (HPT) deformation, by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and orientation imaging microscopy (OIM). It was found that HPT deformation results in the formation of an equiaxed grain structure with a mean grain size of 270 and 130 nm using a shear strain of γ = 210 and 420, respectively. The misorientation spectra in HPT iron have a bimodal character with maxima in low (at 1–2°) as well as in high misorientation angle ranges. A marked increase in the fraction of special boundaries (Σ3–Σ45) was revealed as a result of HPT. The microstructural changes due to HPT are discussed and compared with those obtained during conventional deformation modes.     

Preparation and studies on surface modifications of calcium-silico-phosphate ferrimagnetic glass-ceramics in simulated body fluid

The structure and magnetic behaviour of 34SiO₂–(45 − x) CaO–16P₂O₅–4.5 MgO–0.5 CaF₂ − x Fe₂O₃ (where x = 5, 10, 15, 20 wt.%) glasses have been investigated. Ferrimagnetic glass-ceramics are prepared by melt quench followed by controlled crystallization. The surface modification and dissolution behaviour of these glass-ceramics in simulated body fluid (SBF) have also been studied. Phase formation and magnetic behaviour have been studied using XRD and SQUID magnetometer. The room temperature Mössbauer study has been done to monitor the local environment around Fe cations and valence state of Fe ions. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to study the surface modification in glass-ceramics when immersed in simulated body fluid. Formation of bioactive layer in SBF has been ascertained using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The SBF solutions were analyzed using an absorption spectrophotometer. The magnetic measurements indicated that all these glasses possess paramagnetic character and the [Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺] ions ratio depends on the composition of glass and varied with Fe₂O₃ concentration in glass matrix. In glass-ceramics saturation magnetization increases with increase in amount of Fe₂O₃. The nanostructure of hematite and magnetite is formed in the glass-ceramics with 15 and 20 wt.% Fe₂O₃, which is responsible for the magnetic property of these glass-ceramics. Introduction of Fe₂O₃ induces several modifications at the glass-ceramics surface when immersed in SBF solution and thereby affecting the surface dissolution and the formation of the bioactive layer.     

Thermal stability of pure bcc Zr fabricated by high pressure torsion

Recently pure omega plus bcc Zr was fabricated for the first time through the simultaneous application of compression and shear to pure alpha Zr by high pressure torsion. This phase was found to be stable under ambient conditions after processing. Here the thermal stability of the pure bcc Zr thus fabricated is analyzed using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), in-situ X-ray diffraction at high temperature and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Our results show that the temperature of the reverse transformation of the bcc phase is close to that of the omega phase. The presence of a mixed structure formed by alternating nanolaminates of the omega and the bcc phases might play a key role in the retention of these two phases at ambient pressure and temperature.     

In vitro corrosion and cytotoxicity on microcrystalline, nanocrystalline and amorphous NiTi alloy fabricated by high pressure torsion

Bulk nanocrystalline and amorphous Ni50.2Ti49.8 alloy samples were successfully prepared from commercial microcrystalline Ni50.2Ti49.8 alloy discs by high pressure torsion (HPT) technique. Then their corrosion resistance, surface wettability and cytotoxicity were further studied from the viewpoint of biomaterials. In both Hank's solution and artificial saliva, bulk nanocrystalline and amorphous Ni50.2Ti49.8 alloys showed significantly higher pitting corrosion potentials than that of microcrystalline Ni50.2Ti49.8 alloy. Meanwhile, the amount of Ni ion release after immersion in Hank's solution was minor, far below the threatening threshold of daily diet. Murine fibroblast and osteoblast cell lines were indirectly co-cultured with experimental sample extracts, indicating no cytotoxicity. Amongst all samples, the nanocrystalline Ni50.2Ti49.8 shows promising as best biomaterial candidate for its good combination of mechanical property, corrosion resistance and cytocompatibility.     

镁基纳米复合材料在模拟体液中的腐蚀行为

以AZ80A市售镁合金为参照，研究了镁基纳米复合材料镁，即：碳纳米管（Mg／CNT）复合材料及氧化镁（Mg／MgO）纳米复合材料在模拟体液中的腐蚀行为．浸泡过程中测量溶液的pH值变化，在浸泡1、4、8、10、20和30d后计算其腐蚀速率，并通过XRD分析腐蚀产物成分．结果显示：Mg／MgO纳米复合材料比Mg／CNT复合材料耐腐蚀，Mg／CNT复合材料在4d时已经腐蚀完，AZSOA型镁舍金最耐腐蚀。三者的腐蚀产物成分基本相同，均为Mg2CI（0H）3-4H2O及少量的MgCl2.     

In-vitro degradation behaviour of WE54 magnesium alloy in simulated body fluid

Rare earths containing magnesium alloy, WE54, exhibited a marginally higher in-vitro degradation resistance than that of pure magnesium. Heat-treatment procedure had an influence on the degradation behaviour. However, comparing with AZ91 magnesium alloy the in-vitro degradation resistance of WE54 magnesium alloy was significantly lower, which suggests that the passivating capacity of rare earths is inferior to that of aluminium under in-vitro condition.     

Deformation mechanisms of a modified 316L austenitic steel subjected to high pressure torsion

The present work is assigned to the microstructural evolution of a modified 316L stainless steel during high pressure torsion (HPT) in a temperature range between −196 °C and 720 °C. The aspect of microstructural evolution is similar to that of materials with low stacking fault energy: at high deformation temperatures (T_def > 450 °C) the dominant deformation mechanism is dislocation glide whereas for medium temperatures (450 °C > T_def > 20 °C) mechanical twinning is observed. At very low deformation temperatures (20 °C > T_def > −196 °C) mechanical twinning is replaced by the deformation induced martensite transformation γ(fcc) → ?(hcp). Based on the present results, the formation mechanisms of nanocrystalline austenite are discussed.     

Effect of D-fructose on the in-vitro corrosion behavior of AZ31 magnesium alloy in simulated body fluid

The effect of addingd-fructose to simulated body fluid(SBF) on the corrosion behavior of AZ31 magnesium(Mg) alloy at 37.C and at a pH of 7.4 was studied by potentiodynamic polarization(PDP), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS), potentiostatic polarization and hydrogen(H2) collecting techniques,Raman spectroscopy technique, scanning electron microscopy(SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS), X-ray diffraction(XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis(XPS) and Fourier transformed infrared(FTIR). The results demonstrated that the addition of fructose enhanced the deposition of phosphates forming thick and compact corrosion products, which inhibited the transmission of aggressive ions into the Mg substrate. As a result, both the anodic dissolution of Mg and negative difference effect(NDE) were suppressed. Thus, the corrosion resistance of AZ31 Mgalloy in SBF was significantly improved.     

Production of aluminum-matrix carbon nanotube composite using high pressure torsion

In this study, an Al-based composite containing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was fabricated using a process of severe plastic deformation through high pressure torsion (HPT). Neither heating nor sintering was required with the HPT process so that an in situ consolidation was successfully achieved at ambient temperature with 98% of the theoretical density. A significant increase in hardness was recorded through straining by the HPT process. When the composite was pulled in tension, the tensile strength of more than 200 MPa was attained with reasonable ductility. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the grain size was reduced to 100 nm and this was much smaller than the grain size without CNTs and the grain size reported on a bulk sample. High resolution electron microscopy revealed that CNTs were present at grain boundaries. It was considered that the significant reduction in grain size is attributed to the presence of CNTs hindering the dislocation absorption and annihilation at grain boundaries.     

Influence of laser surface remelting on microstructure and degradation mechanism in simulated body fluid of Zn-0.5Zr alloy

In this study, the Zn-0.5 wt%Zr (Zn-Zr) alloy was treated by laser surface remelting (LSR), and then the microstructure and degradation mechanism of the remelting layer were investigated and compared with the original as-cast alloy. The results reveal that after LSR, the bulky Zn₂₂Zr phase in the original Zn-Zr alloy is dissolved and the coarse equiaxed grains transform into fine dendrites with a secondary dendrite arm space of about 100 nm. During the degradation process in simulated body fluid (SBF), the corrosion products usually concentrate at some certain areas in the original alloy, while the corrosion products distribute uniformly and loosely in the LSR-treated surface. After removing the corrosion products, it was found that the former suffers obvious pitting corrosion and then localized corrosion. The proposed mechanism is that corrosion initiates at grain boundaries and develops into the depth at some locations, and then leads to localized corrosion. For the LSR-treated sample, corrosion initiates at some active sites and propagates in all directions, corrosion takes place in the whole surface with distinctly uniform thickness reduction, while the localized corrosion and peeling of bulky Zn₂₂Zr particles were eliminated. The electrochemical results also suggest the uniform corrosion of LSR-treated sample and localized corrosion of original sample. Based on the results, a new approach to regulate the corrosion mode of the biodegradable Zn alloy is proposed.     

Optimising the bioactivity of alkaline-treated titanium alloy

A layer of sodium titanate hydrogel on titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) induces apatite formation in simulated body fluid (SBF). This paper seeks to determine the parameters of alkaline-treated and subsequent heat treatment which lead to the most rapid formation of apatite. Specimens were soaked in 3, 5, 10 or 15 M solutions of NaOH at temperatures of 60 or 80 °C for 1, 3 or 7 days. It was found that the optimum treatment for the Ti6Al4V alloy was a 3-day soak in 5 M NaOH solution at 80 °C. Specimens treated under these optimum conditions were subsequently heat-treated at 500, 600, and 700 °C for 1 h so as to consolidate the sodium titanate hydrogel layer and improve its bonding to the substrate. Treatment at 600 °C resulted in the best bonding and the optimum rate of apatite formation. On soaking in simulated body fluid (SBF), apatite formed within 3 days, as compared to the 7-day formation, which was the best rate previously reported. The acceleration in the rate of apatite formation is significant, as it should allow for earlier load bearing of prostheses following implantation.     

高强度铸造钛合金的耐空蚀性能

采用不同的试验方法对高强度铸造钛合金的耐空蚀性能进行了探讨研究。结果表明，该合金具有优良的耐空蚀性能，是处于空蚀条件下工作的高速旋转件的理想材料。