Effect of Rolling Treatment on Microstructure, Mechanical Properties, and Corrosion Properties of WE43 Alloy

Magnesium alloys show broad application prospects as biodegradable implanting materials due to their good biocompatibility, mechanical compatibility, and degradability. However, the influence mechanism of microstructure evolution during forming on the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of the magnesium alloy process is not clear. Here, the effects of rolling deformation, such as cold rolling, warm rolling, and hot rolling, on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance of the WE43 magnesium alloy were systematically studied. After rolling treatment, the grains of the alloy were significantly refined. Moreover, the crystal plane texture strength and basal plane density decreased first and then increased with the increase in rolling temperature. Compared with the as-cast alloy, the strength of the alloy after rolling was significantly improved. Among them, the warm-rolled alloy exhibited the best mechanical properties, with a tensile strength of 346.7 MPa and an elongation of 8.9%. The electrochemical experiments and immersion test showed that the hot working process can greatly improve the corrosion resistance of the WE43 alloy. The hot-rolled alloy had the best corrosion resistance, and its corrosion resistance rate was 0.1556 +/- 0.18 mm/year.

Automated summary

This study systematically investigated the effects of rolling deformation on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance of WE43 magnesium alloy. The results showed that the rolling treatment significantly refined the alloy grains and improved its strength. The alloy subjected to warm rolling exhibited the best mechanical properties. The hot working process greatly improved the corrosion resistance of the alloy.