Submit to Materials Review for Materials Propose a Special Issue

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Study on the Development and Applications of Magnesium Alloys

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Metals and Alloys".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 December 2022) | Viewed by 23453

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Chao Xu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Materials Science, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
Interests: high performance Mg alloys; casting, heat treatment; thermomechanical processing; dynamic recrystallization; precipitation behavior; deformation and strengthening mechanims; in-situ microstructure characterization; synchrotron radiation; X-ray micro-computed tomography

Dr. Jing Zuo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant

Department of Materials Science, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
Interests: magnesium alloy; aging precipitation; deformation behaviors; fracture behaviors; strengthening mechanism; synchrotron radiation; in-situ EBSD

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Magnesium and its alloys have great potential to be used in the fields of aerospace, aircraft, automotive, portable electronics, biomedical and energy, etc., due to their characteristics such as low density (1.74 g cm^-3, about two-thirds that of aluminium and a quarter that of steel), high specific strength and stiffness, good damping capacity, biocompatibility, high hydrogen storage capacity and easy recyclability. Although the magnesium alloy products have already been industrially applied as the aircraft and automotive components since the early twentieth century, their extended engineering applications remain limited in comparison with that achieved for aluminium alloys. That is mainly ascribed to the inadequate properties of the commercial magnesium alloys, such as yield strength, ductility, thermal stability and corrosion resistance. Accordingly, in the last few decades, magnesium alloys have attracted considerable research on the above shortcomings and corresponding fundamental scientific issues, and great progress has been achieved.

This Special Issue is designed to publish high-quality research papers, short communications as well as review articles regarding the recent advances in development of magnesium alloys as structural and functional materials, and their potential commercial applications. All aspects related to the alloy design, casting, heat treatment and thermomechanical processing of magnesium alloys, deformation, precipitation-hardening, corrosion and hydrogen charging/discharging behaviours of magnesium alloys are welcomed.

Prof. Chao Xu
Dr. Jing Zuo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Cast/die-cast magnesium alloys
Wrought magnesium alloys
3D-printing magnesium alloys
Magnesium-rare earth (RE)-based alloys
RE-free magnesium alloys
High-strength magnesium alloys
Super-plastic magnesium alloys
Thermal resistant magnesium alloys
High damping magnesium alloys
High thermal conductivity magnesium alloys
Corrosion resistant magnesium alloys
Biomedical magnesium alloys
Hydrogen storage magnesium alloys
Phase diagram calculation of magnesium alloys
Heat treatment of magnesium alloys
Thermomechanical processing of magnesium alloys
Surface treatment of magnesium alloys

Published Papers (10 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Review

19 pages, 12495 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Recrystallization Behavior of a Mg-5Zn Alloy Influenced by Minor SiC_p during Hot Compression

by Quanxin Shi, Cuiju Wang, Kunkun Deng, Kaibo Nie and Wei Liang

Materials 2022, 15(23), 8498; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma15238498 - 29 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 908

Abstract

The influence of minor SiC_p on the dynamic recrystallization (DRX) and dynamic precipitation behaviors of the Mg-5Zn matrix were investigated through the hot compression test. The results showed that the addition of SiC_p improved the DRXed ratio of Mg-5Zn matrix, but the recrystallized grains in 1 vol.% 5 μm SiC_p/Mg-5Zn material were mainly formed by the “bulging” nucleation of the grain boundary at a low compressive strain (~0.05, ~0.1 and ~0.35), and PDZ (particle deformation zone) around SiC_p had little effect on the recrystallization nucleation. However, the fine recrystallized grains appeared around the particles when the compressive strain reached ~0.7, which was attributed to the promotion effect of PDZ on recrystallization nucleation. This shows that PDZ around particles can promote DRX nucleation under large strain. Meanwhile, compared to the Mg-5Zn alloy, the volume fraction and size of the secondary phase in the SiC_p/Mg-5Zn material increased due to the influence of SiC_p on the recrystallization behavior of Mg-5Zn matrix. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on the Development and Applications of Magnesium Alloys)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 5037 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Electrochemical and In Vitro Biological Evaluation of Bio-Active Coatings Deposited by Magnetron Sputtering onto Biocompatible Mg-0.8Ca Alloy

by Ana-Iulia Bița, Iulian Antoniac, Marian Miculescu, George E. Stan, Lucia Leonat, Aurora Antoniac, Bujor Constantin and Norin Forna

Materials 2022, 15(9), 3100; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma15093100 - 25 Apr 2022

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2233

Abstract

The use of resorbable magnesium alloys in the design of implants represents a new direction in the healthcare domain. Two main research avenues are currently explored for developing or improving metallic biomaterials: (i) increase of their corrosion resistance by designed compositional and structural modifications, and (ii) functionalization of their surfaces by coating with ceramic or polymeric layers. The main objective of this work was to comparatively assess bio-functional coatings (i.e., highly-crystallized hydroxyapatite and silica-rich glass) deposited by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering (RF-MS) on a biodegradable Mg-0.8Ca alloy (0.8 wt.% of Ca). After probing their morphology (by scanning electron microscopy) and structure (by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction), the corrosion resistance of the RF-MS coated Mg-0.8Ca substrates was electrochemically tested (in synthetic biological media with different degrees of biomimicry), and their cytocompatibility was assessed in osteoblast and fibroblast cell cultures. By collective assessment, the most promising performances, in terms of mass loss (~7% after 12 days), hydrogen release rate (~6 mL/cm² after 12 days), electrochemical corrosion parameters and cytocompatibility, were obtained for the crystalline HA coating. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on the Development and Applications of Magnesium Alloys)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 4237 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Al Addition on Grain Refinement and Phase Transformation of the Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Mn Alloy Containing LPSO Phase

by Jing Zuo, Mingquan Zhang, Taiki Nakata, Guisong Wang, Danyang Li, Hailong Shi, Chao Xu, Xiaojun Wang, Wenjun Li, Guohua Fan, Lin Geng and Shigeharu Kamado

Materials 2022, 15(5), 1632; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma15051632 - 22 Feb 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1428

Abstract

The effect of 0–1.0 at.% Al additions on grain refinement and phase transformation of the Mg-2.0Gd-1.2Y-0.5Zn-0.2Mn (at.%) alloy containing a long period stacking ordered (LPSO) phase was investigated in this work. The addition of Al promoted the formation of the Al₂RE phase in the Mg-2.0Gd-1.2Y-0.5Zn-0.2Mn (at.%) alloy, and the dominant secondary phases in the as-cast Mg-2.0Gd-1.2Y-0.5Zn-0.2Mn-1.0Al (at.%) alloy were the Mg₃RE phase, LPSO phase, and Al₂RE phase. With increased Al addition, the area fraction of the Al₂RE phase increased monotonously, while the area fraction of LPSO phase and Mg₃RE phase decreased gradually. The orientation relationship between the Al₂RE phase and the α-Mg matrix was determined to be <112>_Al2RE//<11

\bar{2}

0>_α-Mg, {101}_Al2RE//{10

\bar{1}

0}_α-Mg, which was not affected by Zn and Mn concentrations in the Al₂RE phase. Since the Al₂RE particles with a size more than 6 μm located at the center of grains could act as nucleants for α-Mg grains, the average grain size of the as-cast alloys decreased from 276 μm to 49 μm after 1.0% Al addition. The effect of the Al addition on the grain refinement of the Mg-2.0Gd-1.2Y-0.5Zn-0.2Mn alloy was comparable to that of the Zr refined counterpart. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on the Development and Applications of Magnesium Alloys)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 4078 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of La Addition on the Microstructure, Thermal Conductivity and Mechanical Properties of Mg-3Al-0.3Mn Alloys

by Huafeng Liu, Jing Zuo, Taiki Nakata, Chao Xu, Guisong Wang, Hailong Shi, Guangze Tang, Xiaojun Wang, Shigeharu Kamado and Lin Geng

Materials 2022, 15(3), 1078; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma15031078 - 29 Jan 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2148

Abstract

The effects of La addition on the microstructure, thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of as-cast and as-extruded Mg-3Al-xLa-0.3Mn (x = 1, 3 and 5 wt.%) alloys were studied. The results showed that the thermal conductivity of the alloys increased with the addition of La element, which was due to the formation of the Al₁₁La₃ phases by consuming the solute Al and the added La element. The yield strength of the as-cast Mg-3Al-xLa-0.3Mn alloys increased with the increase in La concentration. The thermal conductivity of the as-extruded alloys was lower than that of as-cast counterparts owing to lots of defects generated in the process of hot extrusion deformation, particularly the grain boundaries. The anisotropy of thermal conductivity was discovered in the as-extruded alloys on account of the formation of texture. As the La content increases, the tensile strength and yield strength of the as-extruded alloys decreased gradually. In contrast, the elongation first increased and then decreased, resulting from the combined effect of the texture strengthening and second phase strengthening. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on the Development and Applications of Magnesium Alloys)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 3576 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Soft Computing-Based Analysis of Cutting Rate and Recast Layer Thickness for AZ31 Alloy on WEDM Using RSM-MOPSO

by Kapil K. Goyal, Neeraj Sharma, Rahul Dev Gupta, Gurpreet Singh, Deepika Rani, Harish Kumar Banga, Raman Kumar, Danil Yurievich Pimenov and Khaled Giasin

Materials 2022, 15(2), 635; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma15020635 - 15 Jan 2022

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 2034

Abstract

In the present research, the AZ31 alloy is machined by wire-cut electric discharge machining (WEDM). The experiments were designed according to the Box-Behnken design (BBD) of response surface methodology (RSM). The input process variables, namely servo feed (SF), pulse on-time (Ton), servo voltage (SV), and pulse off-time (Toff), were planned by BBD, and experiments were performed to investigate the cutting rate (CR) and recast layer thickness (RCL). The analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to determine the influence of machining variables on response characteristics. The empirical models developed for CR and RCL were solved using Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimization (MOPSO). Pareto optimal front is used for the collective optimization of CR and RCL. The optimal solution suggested by the hybrid approach of RSM-MOPSO is further verified using a confirmation test on the random setting indicated by the hybrid algorithm. It is found that the minimum RCL (6.34 µm) is obtained at SF: 1700; SV: 51 V; Toff: 10.5 µs; and Ton: 0.5 µs. However, maximum CR (3.18 m/min) is predicted at SF: 1900; SV: 40 V; Toff: 7 µs; and Ton: 0.9 µs. The error percentage of ±5.3% between the experimental results and predicted solutions confirms the suitability of the proposed hybrid approach for WEDM of AZ31. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on the Development and Applications of Magnesium Alloys)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 92447 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fluoride Treatment and In Vitro Corrosion Behavior of Mg-Nd-Y-Zn-Zr Alloys Type

by Pham Hong Quan, Iulian Antoniac, Florin Miculescu, Aurora Antoniac, Veronica Manescu (Păltânea), Alina Robu, Ana-Iulia Bița, Marian Miculescu, Adriana Saceleanu, Alin Dănuț Bodog and Vicentiu Saceleanu

Materials 2022, 15(2), 566; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma15020566 - 12 Jan 2022

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2669

Abstract

Fluoride conversion coatings on Mg present many advantages, among which one can find the reduction of the corrosion rate under “in vivo” or “in vitro” conditions and the promotion of the calcium phosphate deposition. Moreover, the fluoride ions released from MgF₂ do not present cytotoxic effects and inhibit the biofilm formation, and thus these treated alloys are very suitable for cardiovascular stents and biodegradable orthopedic implants. In this paper, the biodegradation behavior of four new magnesium biodegradable alloys that have been developed in the laboratory conditions, before and after surface modifications by fluoride conversion (and sandblasting) coatings, are analyzed. We performed structural and surface analysis (XRD, SEM, contact angle) before and after applying different surface treatments. Furthermore, we studied the electrochemical behavior and biodegradation of all experimental samples after immersion test performed in NaCl solution. For a better evaluation, we also used LM and SEM for evaluation of the corroded samples after immersion test. The results showed an improved corrosion resistance for HF treated alloy in the NaCl solution. The chemical composition, uniformity, thickness and stability of the layers generated on the surface of the alloys significantly influence their corrosion behavior. Our study reveals that HF treatment is a beneficial way to improve the biofunctional properties required for the studied magnesium alloys to be used as biomaterials for manufacturing the orthopedic implants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on the Development and Applications of Magnesium Alloys)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 7763 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Heat Treatment on the Mechanical and Corrosion Properties of Mg–Zn–Ga Biodegradable Mg Alloys

by Viacheslav Bazhenov, Anastasia Lyskovich, Anna Li, Vasily Bautin, Alexander Komissarov, Andrey Koltygin, Andrey Bazlov, Alexey Tokar, Denis Ten and Aigul Mukhametshina

Materials 2021, 14(24), 7847; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14247847 - 18 Dec 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2470

Abstract

Mg alloys have mechanical properties similar to those of human bones, and have been studied extensively because of their potential use in biodegradable medical implants. In this study, the influence of different heat treatment regimens on the microstructure and mechanical and corrosion properties of biodegradable Mg–Zn–Ga alloys was investigated, because Ga is effective in the treatment of disorders associated with accelerated bone loss. Solid–solution heat treatment (SSHT) enhanced the mechanical properties of these alloys, and a low corrosion rate in Hanks’ solution was achieved because of the decrease in the cathodic-phase content after SSHT. Thus, the Mg–4 wt.% Zn–4 wt.% Ga–0.5 wt.% Y alloy after 18 h of SSHT at 350 °C (ultimate tensile strength: 207 MPa; yield strength: 97 MPa; elongation at fracture: 7.5%; corrosion rate: 0.27 mm/year) was recommended for low-loaded orthopedic implants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on the Development and Applications of Magnesium Alloys)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 5002 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Anelastic Behaviour of Commercial Die-Cast Magnesium Alloys: Effect of Temperature and Alloy Composition

by Hua Qian Ang

Materials 2021, 14(23), 7220; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14237220 - 26 Nov 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1511

Abstract

The anelastic deformation, resulting from partial reversal of {10

\bar{1}

The anelastic deformation, resulting from partial reversal of {10

\bar{1}

2} twinning, is studied at room temperature to 150 °C on several commercial die-cast magnesium alloys for the first time. The magnitude of anelastic strain decreases with increasing temperature. For inter-alloy comparison, AZ91 shows the largest maximum anelastic strain, while AM40 and AM60 show similar maximum anelastic strain. The phenomenon is discussed in terms of solid solution softening and hardening of slip planes and how they influence twinning. T5-aged AE44 consistently shows smaller magnitude of anelasticity compared to as-cast AE44, suggesting that the precipitates formed during ageing may decrease the twin-boundary mobility and further suppress untwinning. Presence of anelasticity poses a challenge to yield strength measurement using the conventional 0.2% offset method, and a more accurate and consistent method of using a higher offset strain or a lower modulus is proposed in this study. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on the Development and Applications of Magnesium Alloys)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

13 pages, 3795 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Microstructural Characteristics and Subsequent Soften Mechanical Response in Transverse Direction of Wrought AZ31 with Elevated Compression Temperature

by Mengmeng Yang, Feng Zhang, Wei Yu, Yikui Bai and Zheng Liu

Materials 2021, 14(14), 4055; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14144055 - 20 Jul 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1680

Abstract

In order to investigate the effect of temperature on the microstructure evolution and mechanical response in the transverse direction of a wrought AZ31 (AZ31-TD) alloy under a high strain rate, the dynamic compression was conducted using Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) apparatus and a resistance-heated furnace under 1000 s⁻¹ at 20–250 °C. By combining optical and EBSD observations, the microstructure’s evolution was specifically analyzed. With the help of theoretically calculated Schmid Factors (SF) and Critical Resolved Shear Stress (CRSS), the activation and development deformation mechanisms are systematically discussed in the current study. The results demonstrated that the stress–strain curves are converted from a sigmoidal curve to a concave-down curve, which is caused by the preferentially and main deformation mechanism

{10 \bar{1} 2}

tension twinning gradually converting to simultaneously exist with the deformation mechanism of a non-basal slip at an elevated temperature, then completing with each other. Finally, the dynamic recrystallization (DRX) and non-basal slip are largely activated and enhanced by temperature elevated to weaken the

{10 \bar{1} 2}

tension twinning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on the Development and Applications of Magnesium Alloys)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

32 pages, 8711 KiB

Open AccessReview

Magnesium-Based Alloys Used in Orthopedic Surgery

by Iulian Antoniac, Marian Miculescu, Veronica Mănescu (Păltânea), Alexandru Stere, Pham Hong Quan, Gheorghe Păltânea, Alina Robu and Kamel Earar

Materials 2022, 15(3), 1148; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma15031148 - 02 Feb 2022

Cited by 48 | Viewed by 5040

Abstract

Magnesium (Mg)-based alloys have become an important category of materials that is attracting more and more attention due to their high potential use as orthopedic temporary implants. These alloys are a viable alternative to nondegradable metals implants in orthopedics. In this paper, a detailed overview covering alloy development and manufacturing techniques is described. Further, important attributes for Mg-based alloys involved in orthopedic implants fabrication, physiological and toxicological effects of each alloying element, mechanical properties, osteogenesis, and angiogenesis of Mg are presented. A section detailing the main biocompatible Mg-based alloys, with examples of mechanical properties, degradation behavior, and cytotoxicity tests related to in vitro experiments, is also provided. Special attention is given to animal testing, and the clinical translation is also reviewed, focusing on the main clinical cases that were conducted under human use approval. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on the Development and Applications of Magnesium Alloys)

► Show Figures