Influence of heat treatment and ECAP on the mechanical properties, microstructure, and corrosion behaviour of a micro alloyed magnesium

Rai, Adarsh; Palumbo, Gaetano; Bajda, Szymon; Krzyzanowski, Michal; Sokołowski, Krystian; Kawałko, Jakub; Lisiecka-Graca, Paulina; Bała, Piotr; Wiese, Björn

Influence of heat treatment and ECAP on the mechanical properties, microstructure, and corrosion behaviour of a micro alloyed magnesium

Rai, Adarsh and Palumbo, Gaetano and Bajda, Szymon and Krzyzanowski, Michal and Sokołowski, Krystian and Kawałko, Jakub and Lisiecka-Graca, Paulina and Bała, Piotr and Wiese, Björn (2026) Influence of heat treatment and ECAP on the mechanical properties, microstructure, and corrosion behaviour of a micro alloyed magnesium. Journal of Materials Research and Technology, 42. pp. 3685-3701. ISSN 2238-7854

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Abstract

This work explores Mg-Zn-Ca material, with novel grain size achieved through equal channel angular pressing (ECAP). Experimental studies indicate that the mechanical properties of the ECAP-treated alloy have been significantly improved compared to those of the initial alloys. Finite element analysis (FEA) was employed to simulate the process, confirming that the characteristic high-shear-strain bands responsible for grain refinement were successfully induced. The formation of MgCaSi and Ca2Mg6Zn3 phases helped to improve the corrosion resistance behaviour of both heat-treated and ECAP-processed alloys. While its overall corrosion resistance was similar to that of the heat-treated alloy, the ECAP-processed alloy showed enhanced resistance to pitting corrosion. This improvement is due to a more uniform protective layer as corrosion product, microstructure homogenization, and finer grains produced during the ECAP process. The protective layers in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution, primarily consisting of phosphates and carbonates, were analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). These findings suggest that the Mg-Zn-Ca alloy processed by ECAP is a promising candidate for biomedical application due to its superior mechanical and corrosion-resistant properties.

Item Type:	Article
Identification Number:	10.1016/j.jmrt.2026.04.025
Dates:	Date Event 3 April 2026 Accepted 5 April 2026 Published Online
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Magnesium alloy, Grain refinement, Corrosion resistance, Strengthening, Finite element analysis
Subjects:	CAH10 - engineering and technology > CAH10-01 - engineering > CAH10-01-01 - engineering (non-specific)
Divisions:	Architecture, Built Environment, Computing and Engineering > Engineering
Depositing User:	Gemma Tonks
Date Deposited:	30 Apr 2026 16:53
Last Modified:	30 Apr 2026 16:53
URI:	https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/17018