Effect of Solidification Rate on Mechanical and Corrosion Behavior of Zn-xAl Biodegradable Alloys

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Zeynab Ahmadi ¹

Reza Taghiabadi ²

Morteza Saghafi Yazdi ¹

¹ Department of materials science, Imam Khomeini International University

² Department of materials science,, Imam Khomeini International University

10.22067/jmme.2025.93286.1207

Abstract

The effect of solidification cooling rate (4.1 and 14.7 °C/s) was studied on the microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion behavior of biodegradable Zn-Al alloys containing 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 wt. % Al. According to the results, the addition of Al developed a microstructure comprising of Zn-rich dendrites (-phase) and Al-rich α-phase and -phase eutectoid in interdendritic regions. At the solidification rate of 4.1 °C/s, the Zn-4Al alloy with a tensile strength of 321 MPa and an elongation of 16.2 % fulfilled the benchmark mechanical properties of biomedical implants. Increasing the solidification cooling rate enhanced the mechanical properties where the Zn-2Al alloy with a tensile strength and elongation of 330 MPa and 24 %, respectively, fulfilled the benchmark mechanical properties of biodegradable alloys. According to the Tafel polarization tests, irrespective the cooling rate, the addition of 1 wt. % Al increased the corrosion rate/corrosion current of pure Zn. The addition of ~2 wt. % Al improved the corrosion resistance (corrosion current density of 4.51410-6 A/cm2), but its further increase to ~4 wt. % increased the corrosion rate again. The lowest corrosion rate was observed in the Zn-2Al alloy solidified at a cooling rate of 14.7 °C/s.

Keywords

Biodegradable

Zn-Al alloy

solidification cooling rate

mechanical properties

corrosion behavior

Subjects

• Casting and Solidification

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