An Enhanced Understanding of the Powder Bed Fusion-Laser Beam Processing of Mg-Y3.9wt%-Nd3wt%-Zr0.5wt% (WE43) Alloy through Thermodynamic Modeling and Experimental Characterization

Microstructural Origins of the Corrosion Resistance of a Mg-Y-Nd-Zr Alloy Processed by Powder Bed Fusion – Laser Beam

Magnesium alloys are biocompatible, biodegradable and have the ability to promote bone ingrowth, making them ideal candidate materials for replacing auto- and allografts in future treatments of large bone defects. Powder bed fusion–laser beam (PBF-LB) additive manufacturing of these alloys would further allow for the production of complex structures, optimized for bone grafting. However, the corrosion rates of structures processed by PBF-LB remain too high. An improved understanding of the influence of the microstructure generated during PBF-LB on the corrosion properties is considered key to their future implementation in implants. In this study, the effect of PBF-LB processing and subsequent hot isostatic pressing (HIP) on the microstructure and texture in different sample directions was studied and related to the corrosion behavior of a Mg-Y-Nd-Zr alloy. The results were compared with an extruded Mg-Y-Nd-Zr alloy. A higher amount of secondary phases resulted in a higher rate of localized corrosion for the PBF-LB processed material compared to that for the extruded one. Due to growth of the secondary phases, the corrosion rate was further increased after HIP. Moreover, a strong texture was observed in the PBF-LB material, and it was also enhanced in the HIP material. While this affected the electrochemical activity as measured by potentiodynamic polarization tests, any texture effect appeared to be masked by the contribution of the secondary phases in the longer-term mass change and hydrogen evolution tests. Future work should look further into the influence of individual process parameters on the microstructure and the resulting corrosion behavior of the material, to further clarify its interdependence.

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.