Degradation Behavior of Micro-Arc Oxidized ZK60 Magnesium Alloy in a Simulated Body Fluid

A comprehensive review of properties of the biocompatible thin films on biodegradable Mg alloys

Magnesium (Mg) and its alloys have attracted attention as biodegradable materials for biomedical applications owing to their mechanical properties being comparable to that of bone. Mg is a vital trace element in many enzymes and thus forms one of the essential factors for human metabolism. However, before being used in biomedical applications, the early stage or fast degradation of Mg and its alloys in the physiological environment should be controlled. The degradation of Mg alloys is a critical criterion that can be controlled by a surface modification which is an effective process for conserving their desired properties. Different coating methods have been employed to modify Mg surfaces to provide good corrosion resistance and biocompatibility. This review aims to provide information on different coatings and discuss their physical and biological properties. Finally, the current withstanding challenges have been highlighted and discussed, followed by shedding some light on future perspectives.

Corrosion Protection of ZK60 Wrought Magnesium Alloys by Micro-Arc Oxidation

The influences of the forging process and micro-arc oxidation (MAO) coating on the corrosion behavior of ZK60 wrought magnesium alloys exposed to salt spray and constant stress corrosion conditions were investigated. The microstructure of the ZK60 Mg alloy specimens forged under different temperatures (i.e., 250, 300, and 450 °C) was characterized using metallography, EBSD, and SEM. It was demonstrated that the ZK60 alloy forged at 300 °C (i.e., ZK60EF-300) had finer grain and uniformly distributed β-phase and, thus, better corrosion resistance than the ZK60 forged at 450 °C. At the lower forging temperature (250 °C) twins formed in the ZK60 alloy, which accelerated the corrosion of the ZK60E-250 specimen. The MAO coating provided robust corrosion protection for all the ZK60 wrought Mg alloy substrates. The salt spray corrosion test results showed that when the MAO coating broke down at certain weak sites, the corrosion performance of the coated Mg alloy was predominantly determined by the alloy substrate. The stress corrosion behaviors of the uncoated and MAO-coated ZK60 alloy specimens were also investigated under a constant load of 80 MPa in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution. The MAO coating was found to improve the stress-corrosion resistance of the ZK60 alloy pronouncedly.

Corrosion Behavior of As-Cast Ti–10Mo–6Zr–4Sn–3Nb and Ti–6Al–4V in Hank’s Solution: A Comparison Investigation

Newly developed Ti–10Mo–6Zr–4Sn–3Nb has fascinating mechanical properties to be used as a biomedical material. However, there is still a lack of investigation focusing on the corrosion behavior of Ti–10Mo–6Zr–4Sn–3Nb. In this work, the microstructure and corrosion behavior of as-cast Ti–10Mo–6Zr–4Sn–3Nb was investigated by optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and electrochemical measurements. Hank’s solution was used as the electrolyte. A classical as-cast Ti–6Al–4V was used as reference. The results showed that Ti–10Mo–6Zr–4Sn–3Nb has a higher corrosion potential and a lower corrosion current density compared with Ti–6Al–4V, indicating better corrosion resistance. However, after applying anodic potentials, Ti–10Mo–6Zr–4Sn–3Nb shows larger passivation current density in both potentiodynamic polarization and potentiostatic polarization tests. This is because more alloying elements contained in Ti–10Mo–6Zr–4Sn–3Nb trigger the production of a larger number of oxygen vacancies, resulting in a higher flux of oxygen vacancy. This finding illustrates that the passive film on Ti–10Mo–6Zr–4Sn–3Nb is less protective compared with that on Ti–6Al–4V when applying an anodic potential in their passivation range.

Phase Transformation-Induced Improvement in Hardness and High-Temperature Wear Resistance of Plasma-Sprayed and Remelted NiCrBSi/WC Coatings

The remelting method is introduced to improve the properties of the as-sprayed NiCrBSi coatings. In this work, tungsten carbide (WC) was selected as reinforcement and the as-sprayed and remelted NiCrBSi/WC composite coatings were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, hardness test and tribology test. After spraying, WC particles are evenly distributed in the coating. The remelting process induced the decarburizing reaction of WC, resulting in the formation of dispersed W2C. The dispersed W2C particles play an important role in the dispersion strengthening. Meanwhile, the pores and lamellar structures are eliminated in the remelted NiCrBSi/WC composite coating. Due to these two advantages, the hardness and the high-temperature wear resistance of the remelted NiCrBSi/WC composite coating are significantly improved compared with those with an as-sprayed NiCrBSi coating; the as-sprayed NiCrBSi coating, as-sprayed NiCrBSi/WC composite coating and remelted NiCrBSi/WC composite coating have average hardness of 673.82, 785.14, 1061.23 HV, and their friction coefficients are 0.3418, 0.3261, 0.2431, respectively. The wear volume of the remelted NiCrBSi/WC composite coating is only one-third of that of the as-sprayed NiCrBSi coating.

Refined Microstructure and Enhanced Hardness in Friction Stir-Welded AZ31 Magnesium Alloy Induced by Heat Pipe with Different Cooling Liquid

The temperature field in welded plates has a significant influence on the microstructure and thereby their properties during friction stir welding (FSW). In this work, a self-designed heat pipe with different cooling liquid was applied in the FSW process for AZ31 magnesium alloy. The temperature fields, microstructures and properties of the welded joints were investigated. The peak temperatures and the durations of high temperature at both the advancing side and the retreating side decrease during the FSW process after applying the heat pipe and adding the ambient temperature water in the condensing tank. The top part of the weld nugget zone of the joint shows a significant decrease as well as its middle part due to the cooling effect of the heat pipe. The microstructure of the weld nugget zone is refined, associated with the increase in the hardness after applying the heat pipe. When the cooling liquid turns into ice water, grains in the weld nugget zone become significantly smaller and have a more homogeneous size. The mean value of hardness increases and the corresponding deviation is declined. Therefore, these results indicate that the application of the heat pipe and the employment of ice water as the cooling liquid can further refine the microstructure and enhance the strength of the material.