Effect of ECAP on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Zn-0.5Ag-0.08Mg alloy

Abstract

Zn–Ag alloys are recently regarded as highly promising biodegradable materials for medical applications, but they suffer from inferior mechanical properties. In this work, a Zn-0.5Ag-0.08Mg (wt.%) alloy with high strength and ductility was obtained by equal channel angular pressing (ECAP). Zn-0.5Ag-0.08Mg samples were ECAP processed for six different passes (1P, 2P, 3P, 4P, 8P, and 12P) to investigate the effect of ECAP on the microstructure and mechanical properties. Samples processed for 3P, 4P, 8P, and 12P exhibit mechanical properties satisfying the application requirements. The sample processed for 4P possesses the largest ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 388.1 MPa, accompanied by an excellent elongation (EL) of 45.3%. The sample processed for 12P shows the best EL of 58.3%, along with a high UTS of 332.5 MPa. The high strength is attributed to grain boundary strengthening and dislocation strengthening. The high ductility is closely related to relatively weak texture, grain refinement, and twin boundary suppression.