1. A novel biodegradable Zn-0.4Li-0.4Cu alloy with superior strength-ductility synergy and corrosive behavior by laser powder bed fusion.
- Author
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Waqas, Muhammad, He, Dingyong, He, Chengxing, Tan, Zhen, Wu, Xu, Ji, Gang, and Guo, Xingye
- Subjects
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BIODEGRADABLE materials , *ALUMINUM-lithium alloys , *SOLUTION strengthening , *INTERMETALLIC compounds , *ALLOYS , *COPPER , *HEAT treatment - Abstract
Zinc (Zn) alloys have recently revolutionized and shown promising usage for degradable biomedical implants (BMI). However, due to the low strength of pure Zn, its application in the biomedical industry was limited. In the current research, an innovative biodegradable Zn-0.4Li-0.4Cu alloy produced by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) with good mechanical properties was investigated. The Zn-0.4Li-0.4Cu alloy showed superior mechanical properties (tensile strength at 296 MPa, yield strength at 260 MPa, and after heat treatment elongation at 8.3 %), a record for biodegradable Zn alloys, as a consequence of grain refinement, second-phase precipitation of intermetallic compounds, and solid solution strengthening. The impacts of Cu and Li on the microstructures, mechanical behaviors, corrosive behavior and deterioration rate of the Zn-0.4Li-0.4Cu alloy were studied. The addition of Cu and inherent fast-cooling rate of the LPBF process are favorable for promoting the nucleation events, leading to the refinement of grains. In addition, the formation of the second-phase precipitates (CuZn 4 and ZnLi 4) in the matrix was founded to further improve the mechanical properties. Moreover, the alloy showed a consistent degradation manner and a suitable degradation rate of 0.023 mm/year. Based on the findings shown above, the biodegradable Zn-0.4Li-0.4Cu alloy can be a potential candidate for vascular stents and medical applications due to its excellent mechanical properties and adequate degrading behavior. • The Zn-0.4Li-0.4Cu alloy produced by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) demonstrated exceptional mechanical properties, with a tensile strength greater than 296 MPa, and elongation of 8.3 %. • The superior mechanical properties of the as-LPBF-built Zn-0.4Li-0.4Cu alloy can be attributed to the morphology and distribution of the intermetallic compounds and dislocations. • The novel biodegradable Zn-0.4Li-0.4Cu alloy is a promising candidate for fabricating degradable biomedical implants due to its strength, reasonable ductility, and satisfactory degradation rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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