Microstructure and thermal conductivity of as-cast and as-extruded binary Mg–Mn alloys

This study investigated the microstructure and thermal conductivity of as-cast and as-extruded binary Mg–Mn alloys. The large grains and fine α-Mn particles contained in the as-cast alloys were observed. After extrusion, the average grain sizes significantly decreased, typical basal fibre texture was generated and high amount of nano particles precipitated from the α-Mg matrix. The thermal conductivity of both as-cast and as-extruded Mg–Mn alloys gradually decreased with the increase in Mn concentration. As-extruded alloys exhibited lower thermal conductivity than as-cast alloys except for the as-extruded alloys containing higher Mn concentrations (>1.2?wt-% Mn). Compared with binary as-extruded Mg–Al and Mg–Zn alloys reported in literatures, thermal conductivity of the as-extruded Mg–Mn alloys was higher when the solute content was greater than 0.5?at.-%.     

Effects of samarium content on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg–0.5Zn–0.5Zr alloy

Effects of samarium (Sm) content (0, 2.0, 3.5, 5.0, 6.5 wt%) on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg–0.5Zn–0.5 Zr alloy under as-cast and as-extruded states were thoroughly investigated. Results indicate that grains of the as-cast alloys are gradually refined as Sm content increases. The dominant intermetallic phase changes from Mg₃Sm to Mg₄₁Sm₅ till Sm content exceeds 5.0 wt%. The dynamically precipitated intermetallic phase during hot-extrusion in all Sm-containing alloys is Mg₃Sm. The intermetallic particles induced by Sm addition could act as heterogeneous nucleation sites for dynamic recrystallization during hot extrusion. They promoted dynamic recrystallization via the particle stimulated nucleation mechanism, and resulted in weakening the basal texture in the as-extruded alloys. Sm addition can significantly enhance the strength of the as-extruded Mg–0.5Zn–0.5 Zr alloy at room temperature, with the optimal dosage of 3.5 wt%. The optimal yield strength (YS) and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) are 368 MPa and 383 MPa, which were enhanced by approximately 23.1% and 20.8% compared with the Sm-free alloy, respectively. Based on microstructural analysis, the dominant strengthening mechanisms are revealed to be grain boundary strengthening and dispersion strengthening.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg–6Li–xAl–0.8Sn alloys

As-cast and as-extruded Mg–6Li–xAl–0.8Sn (x?=?0, 1, 3 and 5?wt-%) alloys were prepared. The microstructure and mechanical properties were investigated and discussed. The experimental results show that the Mg–6Li–0.8Sn alloy is composed of three phases: α-Mg, Mg₂Sn and Li₂MgSn. With the addition of Al, the test alloys display typical α-Mg?+?β-Li duplex structures. The new Mg₁₇Al₁₂ and LiMgAl₂ phases were found in the Mg–6Li–1Al–0.8Sn alloy. The lamellar-type AlLi phase was formed whereas the Mg₁₇Al₁₂ phase disappeared in Mg–6Li–3Al–0.8Sn alloy. The LiMgAl₂ phase vanished in the Mg–6Li–5Al–0.8Sn alloy. The mechanical properties of as-extruded alloys were remarkably improved. The as-extruded Mg–6Li–3Al–0.8Sn alloy exhibited the best mechanical properties, with a yield strength, tensile strength and elongation of 209.8?MPa, 242.6?MPa and 15.5%, respectively.     

Preparation and characterization of as-extruded Mg–Sn alloys for orthopedic applications

In this study, as-extruded Mg–Sn alloys with various Sn content were prepared and characterized for orthopedic applications. The results of microstructure observations and X-ray diffraction analysis showed that as-extruded Mg–Sn alloys were composed of α-Mg and Mg₂Sn phases, and the content of Mg₂Sn phase increased with increasing Sn content. The microstructure of as-extruded Mg–Sn alloy with 1 wt.% Sn was equiaxed grain, while the one with a higher Sn content was inhomogeneous microstructure and the grain size of the long elongated grains decreased with increasing Sn content. Tensile test revealed that the yield strength and ultimate tensile strength of as-extruded Mg–Sn alloys increased while the elongation decreased with increasing Sn content. Immersion and electrochemical tests indicated that the microstructure of as-extruded Mg–Sn alloys affected their corrosion properties, and the increase of Mg₂Sn phase resulted from the increase of the Sn content led to a higher corrosion rate. The cytotoxicity test showed that as-extruded Mg–1Sn and Mg–3Sn alloys met the requirement of cell toxicity for orthopedic applications. Our analyses showed that as-extruded Mg–1Sn and Mg–3Sn alloys were promising to be used as biodegradable orthopedic implants.     

Role of secondary phase in microstructural stability of as-extruded Mg–Sn–Ca at high temperature

The microstructural stability in three as-extruded Mg alloys (Mg–0.6Ca, Mg–1.9Sn and Mg–1.9Sn–0.6Ca) at high temperature (673?K) is studied by optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and its effect on the mechanical properties is tested by tensile test. The grain size of Mg–1.9Sn–0.6Ca alloy is retained at high temperature, while grains in Mg–0.6Ca grow at some degree and in Mg–1.9Sn they coarsen seriously. Additionally, the tensile strength of Mg–1.9Sn–0.6Ca is also most thermally stable. The outstanding microstructural and mechanical stability of as-extruded Mg–1.9Sn–0.6Ca alloy is attributed to the strong pinning effect of stable CaMgSn secondary phase. The poor performances of Mg–0.6Ca and Mg–1.9Sn are due to the dissolution of Mg₂Ca and Mg₂Sn particles, respectively.     

Anisotropy of thermal conductivity and mechanical properties in Mg–5Zn–1Mn alloy

The microstructure, texture, thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of the as-extruded Mg–5Zn–1Mn (ZM51) magnesium alloy were investigated on specimens with the extrusion direction (ED), the transverse direction (TD) and the normal to the extrude plane (ND), respectively. The results indicated that the thermal conductivity of ZM51 alloy at room temperature is 125 (W/m K), almost twice as high as other conventional commercial magnesium alloys, such as Mg–Al series and Mg–RE series. The effect of texture on anisotropy of mechanical properties and thermal conductivity has been analyzed. The strong crystallographic texture typical of Mg alloys results in much higher yield strength and tensile strength (UTS) in the extrusion direction, but higher ductility and thermal conductivity in the transverse direction.     

Effects of Sn,Ca additions on thermal conductivity of Mg matrix alloys

In the present work, the effects of Sn, Ca additions on thermal conductivity were investigated in as cast Mg–Sn–Ca alloys. The measured values of thermal conductivity of Mg–3Sn–xCa alloys obviously increased from 85.6 to 126.3?W?m^??1?K^??1 with the increasing Ca from 0 to 1.5?wt-%, and then decreased to 98.3?W?m^??1?K^??1 with the 2.5?wt-% Ca. In addition, the thermal conductivity of the Mg–Sn–Ca (Sn/Ca atomic ratio of 1) alloys decreased slightly from 154.2 to 132.1?W?m^??1?K^??1 with the increasing Sn, Ca. Meanwhile, the microstructures of the selected alloys were discussed in detail, suggesting that the solute atoms that caused lattice distortion had greater effect on thermal conductivity compared with the second phases formed in as cast Mg–Sn–Ca alloys.     

Effects of CCEP and Sc on superplasticity of Al–5.6Mg–0.7Mn alloys

Trace amount (0.3?wt%) of scandium is added to Al–5.6Mg–0.7Mn alloy to form uniformly distributed Al₃Sc precipitates for producing a fine-grained and stable microstructure at high temperature through cross-channel extrusion process. Superplasticity and hot workability of the Sc-containing Al–5.6Mg–0.7Mn alloy, after extrusion, are also examined. The result indicates that Al–5.6Mg–0.7Mn alloys with and without 0.3?wt% Sc after extrusion of six passes at 300°C, fine-grained structures were observed with grain sizes of 1–2?µm and improvement of mechanical properties. Furthermore, Al₃Sc phase can effectively retard recrystallization to increase the thermal stability and remain equiaxed. The elongation of Al–5.6Mg–0.7Mn alloy with Sc addition to failure is extended to 873% maximum at high temperature of 450°C at strain rate of 1?×?10^?1?s^?1after six passes in the CCEP.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg–8Li–xAl–0.5Ca alloys

The effect of the Al content on the microstructure and mechanical behaviour of Mg–8Li–xAl–0.5Ca alloys is investigated. The experimental results show that an as-cast Mg–8Li–0.5Ca alloy is mainly composed of α-Mg, β-Li and granular Mg₂Ca phases. With the addition of Al, the amount of α-Mg phase first increases and then decreases. In addition, the intermetallic compounds also obviously change. The microstructure of the test alloys is refined due to dynamic recrystallisation that occurs during extrusion. The mechanical properties of extruded alloys are much more desirable than the properties of as-cast alloys. The as-extruded Mg–8Li–6Al–0.5Ca alloy exhibits good comprehensive mechanical properties with an ultimate tensile strength of 251.2?MPa, a yield strength of 220.6?MPa and an elongation of 23.5%.     

Development of extruded Mg-6Er-3Y-1.5Zn-0.4Mn (wt.%) alloy with high strength at elevated temperature

A new Mg-6Er-3Y-1.5Zn-0.4 Mn (wt.%) alloy with high strength at high temperature was designed and extruded at 350 °C. The as-extruded alloy exhibits ultimate tensile strength of 301 MPa, yield strength (along ED) of 274 MPa and thermal conductivity of 73 W/m⋅K at 300 °C. Such outstanding high-temperature strength is mainly attributed to the formation of nano-spaced solute-segregated basal plane stacking faults (SFs) with a large aspect ratio throughout the entire Mg matrix, fine dynamically recrystallized (DRXed) grains of 1–2 μm and strongly textured un-DRXed grains with numerous sub-structures. Microstructural examination unveils that long period stacking ordered (LPSO) phases are formed in Mg matrix of the as-cast alloy when rational design of alloy composition was employed, i.e. (Er + Y): Zn = 3: 1 and Er: Y = 1: 1 (at.%). It is worth mentioning that it is the first report regarding the formation of nano-spaced basal plane SFs throughout both DRXed and un-DRXed grains in as-extruded alloy with well-designed compositions and processing parameters. The results provide new opportunities to the development of deformed Mg alloys with satisfactory mechanical performance for high-temperature services.     

Thermal properties of Mg–Li and Mg–Li–Al alloys

Abstract

The present work is a study of the thermal properties of Mg–xLi–y Al with x= 4, 8 and 12 wt-% and y= 0, 3 and 5 wt-% as a function of temperature in the range 20–375°C. The thermal diffusivity and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) have been measured and the thermal conductivity calculated. The thermal diffusivity of all alloys decreases with an increasing content of lithium. The CTE of the single phase alloys Mg–4Li and Mg–12Li has a linear character, and the CTE of Mg–12Li is higher than that of Mg–4Li. The influence of thermal stresses in the two phase alloy Mg–8Li is perceptible in terms of temperature dependence of the CTE. In Mg–4Li–3Al and Mg–4Li–5Al, an influence of the solution of AlLi phase on all the studied thermal properties has been found.     

Growth kinetics of Al–Mg intermetallics during post-weld annealing treatment

We explored the growth kinetics of intermetallic compound (IMC) layers at the joint interface of the friction stir lap welded Mg alloy to Al alloy joint during post-weld annealing treatment. The intermetallic layer formed between the Al alloy and Mg alloy was composed of continuous β phase and γ phase; the β phase layer grows faster than the γ phase layer. A quantitative analysis of the IMC layer thickness as a function of aging time and temperature was performed. The diffusion coefficients were calculated from the parabolic relationship between the migration of the interface and the annealing time. The activation energies for IMC growth were determined as 113.5 and 69.3?kJ?mol^?1 for the γ and β phases, respectively.     

Characterisation and thermodynamic calculations of biodegradable Mg–2.2Zn–3.7Ce and Mg–Ca–2.2Zn–3.7Ce alloys

In the present study, the effect of Ca (0.5–6?wt-%) content on the microstructure, phase formation, and mechanical properties and in vitro degradation behaviour of Mg–2.2Zn–3.7Ce alloys were investigated. Microstructural analysis and thermodynamic calculations also showed that Mg–2.2Zn–3.7Ce alloy contain α-Mg, Mg₁₂Ce and CeMgZn₂, while after adding 0.5?wt-% Ca to Mg–2.2Zn–3.7Ce alloy, IM1 (Ca₃Mg_xZn_15?x) (4.6?≤?x?≤?12) phase was detected. Further addition of Ca to 6?wt-% resulted in forming Mg₂Ca besides α-Mg, Mg₁₂Ce and IM1 with the absence of CeMgZn₂. The tensile strength and elongation of the Mg–Ca–2.2Zn–3.7Ce alloys increase with increasing Ca content up to 1.5?wt-%, while further addition of Ca to 6?wt-% has a reversed effect. Similarly, the degradation rate of the alloys increased first with increasing Ca content and then decreased.     

Microstructure,phase evolution and corrosion behaviour of the Zn–Al–Mg–Sb alloy coating on steel

ABSTRACT

In the present work, the influence of antimony (Sb) addition in Zn–Al–Mg alloy on the microstructure, phase characteristic, solidification behaviour and corrosion resistance of hot dipped Zn–0.5Al–0.5Mg–xSb (x?=?0, 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5?wt-%) coated steel wires were evaluated. Thermal analysis revealed that cooling rate of the liquid metal using the steel mould (5.3°C?s^–1) was higher than using ceramic mould (0.3°C?s^–1). Based on the phase analysis and verified by thermodynamic calculations, it was revealed that Zn₁₁Mg₂ and Zn₂Mg phases appeared for Zn–Al–Mg alloy at slow and fast cooling rates while, the Mg₃Sb₂ phase was observed after addition of Sb at both cooling rates. Corrosion behaviour of the alloys determined through electrochemical measurements shows that Zn–Al–Mg alloy with 0.3?wt-%Sb has the lowest corrosion rate indicating an excellent corrosion resistance.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of as-extruded AZ80–xSn magnesium alloys

The effect of 0–2?wt-% Sn addition on AZ80 magnesium alloys after 350°C extrusion has been studied by analysing microstructure and mechanical properties. The results indicated that dynamically recrystallised grains were fine and homogeneous with less than 1?wt-% Sn addition. In AZ80–0.5Sn alloy, a large number of Mg₁₇Al₁₂ precipitated phases formed in grains and at grain boundaries during extrusion process. With more than 1?wt-% Sn addition, the size of dynamically recrystallised grains increased and the number of Mg₁₇Al₁₂ phases decreased. The strength of as-extruded AZ80–0.5Sn alloy enhanced largely as compared with that of the as-extruded AZ80 alloy. AZ80–0.5Sn alloy had the outstanding tensile and compressive properties.     

Dealloying corrosion of anodic and nanometric Mg41Nd5 in solid solution-treated Mg-3Nd-1Li-0.2Zn alloy

The microstructure and chemical compositions of the solid solution-treated Mg-3Nd-1Li-0.2Zn alloy were characterized using optical microscope,scanning electron microscope(SEM),transmission electron microscope(TEM),electron probe micro-analyzer(EPMA)and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS).The corrosion behaviour of the alloy was investigated via electrochemical polarization,electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS),hydrogen evolution test and scanning Kelvin probe(SKP).The results showed that the microstructure of the as-extruded Mg-3Nd-1Li-0.2Zn alloy contained α-Mg matrix and nanometric second phase Mg41 Nd5.The grain size of the alloy increased significantly with the increase in the heat-treatment duration,whereas the volume fraction of the second phase decreased after the solid solution treatment.The surface film was composed of oxides(Nd2O3,MgO,Li2O and ZnO)and carbonates(MgCO3 and Li2CO3),in addition to Nd.The as-extruded alloy exhibited the best corrosion resistance after an initial soaking of 10 min,whereas the alloy with 4h-solution-treatment possessed the lowest corrosion rate after a longer immersion(1 h).This can be attributed to the formation of Nd-containing oxide film on the alloys and a dense corrosion product layer.The dealloying corrosion of the second phase was related to the anodic Mg41Nd5 with a more negative Volta potential relative to α-Mg phase.The preferential corrosion of Mg41Nd5 is proven by in-situ observation and SEM.The solid solution treatment of Mg-3Nd-1Li-0.2Zn alloy led to a shift in corrosion type from pitting corrosion to uniform corrosion under long-term exposure.     

Indirectly extruded biodegradable Zn-0.05wt%Mg alloy with improved strength and ductility: In vitro and in vivo studies

As compared to permanent orthopedic implants for load-bearing applications, biodegradable orthopedic implants have the advantage of no need for removing after healing, but they suffer from the "trilemma" problem of compromising among sufficiently high mechanical properties, good biocompatibility and proper degradation rate conforming to the growth rate of new bones. In the present work, in vitro and in vivo studies of a Zn-0.05 wt%Mg alloy(namely, Zn-0.05 Mg alloy) were conducted with pure Zn as a control. The Zn-0.05 Mg alloy is composed of a small amount of Mg_2 Zn11 phase embedded in the refined Zn matrix with an average grain size of ～20 μm. The addition of 0.05 wt% Mg into Zn significantly increases the ultimate tensile strength up to 225 MPa and the elongation to fracture to 26%, but has little influence on the in vitro degradation rate. Both Zn and Zn-0.05 Mg alloy exhibit homogeneous in vitro degradation with a rate of about 0.15 mm/year. Based on the cytotoxicity evaluation, Zn and Zn-0.05 Mg alloy do not induce toxicity to L-929 cells, indicating that they have little toxicity to the general functions of the animal. An in vivo biocompatibility study of Zn and Zn-0.05 Mg alloy samples by placing them in a rabbit model for 4.12 and 24 weeks, respectively did not show any inflammatory cells, and demonstrated that new bone tissue formed at the bone/implant interface, suggesting that Zn and Zn-0.05 Mg alloy promote the formation of new bone tissue. The in vivo degradation of Zn and Zn-0.05 Mg alloy does not bring harm to the important organs and their cell structures. More interestingly, Zn and Zn-0.05 Mg alloy exhibit strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The above results clearly demonstrate that the Zn-0.05 Mg alloy could be a potential biodegradable orthopedic implant material.     

Hot deformation behavior of Cu-bearing antibacterial titanium alloy

We investigated the deformation behavior of a new biomedical Cu-bearing titanium alloy (Ti-645 (Ti-6.06Al-3.75V-4.85Cu, in wt%)) to optimize its microstructure control and the hot-working process. The results showed that true stress–true strain curve of Ti-645 alloy was susceptible to both deformation temperature and strain rate. The microstructure of Ti-645 alloy was significantly changed from equiaxed grain to acicular one with the deformation temperature while a notable decrease in grain size was recorded as well. Dynamic recovery (DRV) and dynamic recrystallization (DRX) obviously existed during the thermal compression of Ti-645 alloy. The apparent activation energies in (α?+?β) phase and β single phase regions were calculated to be 495.21?kJ?mol^?1 and 195.69?kJ?mol^?1, respectively. The processing map showed that the alloy had a large hot-working region whereas the optimum window occurred in the strain rate range of 0.001–0.1?s^?1, and temperature range of 900–960?°C and 1000–1050?°C. The obtained results could provide a technological basis for the design of hot working procedure of Ti-645 alloy to optimize the material design and widen the potential application of Ti-645 alloy in clinic.     

Influence of Heat Treatments on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Two Fine Mg–Li–Y Alloy Wires for Bioresorbable Applications

Two Mg–4Li–xY (x = 0.5 and 2.0 wt%) alloy wires are investigated for application in bioresorbable medical devices that experience high levels of plastic deformation. The two wires are supplied cold drawn to a diameter of 125 μm, and a series of thermal treatments are applied to maximize ductility. The ductility of the alloys is maximized soon after complete recrystallization. Prolonged annealing causes grain coarsening in the Mg–4Li–0.5Y alloy and precipitation of a Mg₂₄Y₅ phase in both alloys. Both wires are shown to achieve ≈20% elongation to failure in tension and survive high idealized bending strains (>40%). When heat treated for optimum mechanical properties for the intended application, the Mg–4Li–0.5Y alloy develops an intense transverse basal texture; however, this is shown to weaken with increased Y content in the Mg–4Li–2Y alloy wire. The increased Y content also prevents grain coarsening, indicating that the increased Y content restricts grain boundary mobility during annealing. Both alloys have relatively high ductility, meaning both are identified as promising new materials for application in bioresorbable medical devices that require to achieve and support high levels of plastic deformation during their life cycle.     

On the Mechanism of Formation of Bimodal Grain Structure in Al–4.5Mg–0.7Sc–0.3Zr Alloy Processed by Laser Powder Bed Fusion

Scalmalloy is an Al–Mg alloy with additions of Sc and Zr originally developed as a high-strength aluminum alloy with σ_0.2 ≥ 450 MPa for aerospace industry. It is now well understood that the alloy is amendable for processing by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). However, the mechanism of formation of the equiaxed-columnar bimodal grain structure during LPBF is not ascertained yet, fully. Herein, this gap is addressed with special focus on the distributions of critical elements such as Sc and various particles that form during LBPF. It is found that strong and weak segregation of Mg and Sc, respectively, occurs in the final solidification areas of the fine- and equiaxed-grain regions. The coarser and columnar grain regions show weak segregation of Mg and no Sc segregation. A priori knowledge on the Al–Sc eutectic reaction, its dependence on cooling rates, and the well-known thermal and solidification conditions related to the track location during LPBF is used to ascertain the mechanism of formation of the bimodal grain structure. The mechanism suggested is substantiated by the location-dependent elemental distributions and the various particles that are observed.