Achieving high strength, excellent ductility, and suitable biodegradability in a Zn-0.1Mg alloy using room-temperature ECAP

High alloying elements effectively strengthen zinc alloys, but these elements also usually decrease the ductility and corrosion resistance of such alloys. In the present study, energy-saving and efficient rotary-die equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) was successfully applied to a zinc alloy with a low Mg content (0.1 wt%) at room temperature (RT), which facilitated the formation of a microstructure with a fine grain size (1.14 +/- 0.22 mu m), weak texture, and dynamically precipitated nano-sized Mg-Zn precipitates at the grain interior. The Zn-0.1Mg alloy formed via RT-ECAP exhibited an outstanding performance, with a high ultimate tensile strength of 383 MPa, excellent ductility of 45.6 %, and a suitable biodegradation rate of 0.014 mm/y in Hank's solution. This alloy is thus a promising candidate for various biodegradable medical applications. (c) 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

In this study, energy-saving and efficient rotary-die equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) was successfully applied to a low Mg content zinc alloy, resulting in the formation of a microstructure with fine grains and dynamically precipitated nano-sized Mg-Zn precipitates. The alloy exhibited excellent mechanical properties and a suitable biodegradation rate, making it a promising candidate for biodegradable medical applications.