TY - JOUR

T1 - Exceptional Strengthening of Biodegradable Mg-Zn-Ca Alloys through High Pressure Torsion and Subsequent Heat Treatment

AU - Horky, Jelena

AU - Ghaffar, Abdul

AU - Werbach, Katharina

AU - Mingler, Bernhard

AU - Pogatscher, Stefan

AU - Schäublin, Robin

AU - Setman, Daria

AU - Uggowitzer, Peter J.

AU - Löffler, Jörg F.

AU - Zehetbauer, Michael J.

PY - 2019/8/2

Y1 - 2019/8/2

N2 - In this study, two biodegradable Mg-Zn-Ca alloys with alloy content of less than 1 wt % were strengthened via high pressure torsion (HPT). A subsequent heat treatment at temperatures of around 0.45 Tm led to an additional, sometimes even larger increase in both hardness and tensile strength. A hardness of more than 110 HV and tensile strength of more than 300 MPa were achieved in Mg-0.2Zn-0.5Ca by this procedure. Microstructural analyses were conducted by scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM, respectively) and atom probe tomography (APT) to reveal the origin of this strength increase. They indicated a grain size in the sub-micron range, Ca-rich precipitates, and segregation of the alloying elements at the grain boundaries after HPT-processing. While the grain size and segregation remained mostly unchanged during the heat treatment, the size and density of the precipitates increased slightly. However, estimates with an Orowan-type equation showed that precipitation hardening cannot account for the strength increase observed. Instead, the high concentration of vacancies after HPT-processing is thought to lead to the formation of vacancy agglomerates and dislocation loops in the basal plane, where they represent particularly strong obstacles to dislocation movement, thus, accounting for the considerable strength increase observed. This idea is substantiated by theoretical considerations and quenching experiments, which also show an increase in hardness when the same heat treatment is applied.

AB - In this study, two biodegradable Mg-Zn-Ca alloys with alloy content of less than 1 wt % were strengthened via high pressure torsion (HPT). A subsequent heat treatment at temperatures of around 0.45 Tm led to an additional, sometimes even larger increase in both hardness and tensile strength. A hardness of more than 110 HV and tensile strength of more than 300 MPa were achieved in Mg-0.2Zn-0.5Ca by this procedure. Microstructural analyses were conducted by scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM, respectively) and atom probe tomography (APT) to reveal the origin of this strength increase. They indicated a grain size in the sub-micron range, Ca-rich precipitates, and segregation of the alloying elements at the grain boundaries after HPT-processing. While the grain size and segregation remained mostly unchanged during the heat treatment, the size and density of the precipitates increased slightly. However, estimates with an Orowan-type equation showed that precipitation hardening cannot account for the strength increase observed. Instead, the high concentration of vacancies after HPT-processing is thought to lead to the formation of vacancy agglomerates and dislocation loops in the basal plane, where they represent particularly strong obstacles to dislocation movement, thus, accounting for the considerable strength increase observed. This idea is substantiated by theoretical considerations and quenching experiments, which also show an increase in hardness when the same heat treatment is applied.

KW - Dislocation loops

KW - High pressure torsion (HPT)

KW - Mg alloy

KW - Mg-Zn-Ca

KW - Precipitates

KW - Severe plastic deformation (SPD)

KW - Vacancies

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85070657898&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3390/ma12152460

DO - 10.3390/ma12152460

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85070657898

VL - 12.2019

JO - Materials

JF - Materials

SN - 1996-1944

IS - 15

M1 - 2460

ER -