Among Al alloys, 2219 Al alloy possesses highest strength at elevated temperatures. However, the application of this alloy is also restricted to a maximum temperature of 150°C, above which, the strengthening precipitates coarsen rapidly resulting in a steep loss in strength. In the present investigation, an attempt has been made to improve the elevated as well as the room temperature properties of commercial 2219 alloy by the addition of small amounts of Sc & Mg, Sc & Zr, and Nb & Zr, and these are designated as 2219ScMg, 2219ScZr and 2219NbZr alloys, respectively. All the three alloys were cast in the form of strips in a water cooled copper mould using suction casting technique with a cooling rate of 102 to 103 K/s. The as-cast strips of 2219ScMg alloys were naturally aged and cold rolled by following three different routes (a) cold rolling, (b) homogenization and cold rolling and (c) hot rolling and cold rolling. A significant improvement in strength has been achieved by all the three wrought processing routes with greater than 140 MPa increase in 0.2% proof stress at room temperature and greater than 110 MPa increase in 0.2% proof stress at 200°C as compared to 2219-T851 alloy having 0.2% proof stress of 345 MPa at room temperature and 205 MPa at 200°C. Hardness values, measured at room temperature after exposure at 200°C, remain stable up to 1000 h. Microstructural analysis of 2219ScMg alloy reveals that Al3Sc or Al3(Sc,Zr) dispersoids form during casting and GP zones form on {100} and {111} plane during natural ageing. Subsequently, rolling introduces higher dislocation densities in the matrix. All these microstructural features contribute to the improvement of the room temperature strength of the alloy. On exposure at 200°C, GP zones transform to mainly θ′ and a few Ω precipitates. A finer, homogeneous distribution of θ′ and Ωprecipitates yields higher strength. Sc and Mg atoms are segregated at the θ′/matrix interface, which gives rise to slower growth kinetics of θ′ precipitates. As a result, the alloy exhibits better thermal stability at 200°C. For 2219ScZr and 2219NbZr alloys, the processing of the cast strip involves a two stage ageing procedure. This includes first stage ageing at 375°C for 2219ScZr alloy and at 400°C for 2219NbZr alloy. This is followed by solution treatment at 535°C for 30 minutes and second stage ageing at 200°C for both the alloys. For 2219ScZr alloy, tensile tests performed at room temperature, 200°C and 250°C show 0.2% proof stress of 456 ± 22 MPa, 295 ± 20 MPa and 227 ± 2 MPa respectively. The alloy is found to be thermally stable at 200°C. It is found that the addition of Sc and Zr results in the formation of Al3(Sc,Zr) precipitates during ageing at 375°C. These precipitates are fully coherent with the matrix and have a significant precipitation hardening effect. They also stimulate the nucleation of θ′′ and θ′precipitates during ageing at 200°C making them finer, homogeneously distributed and thermally stable. Therefore, the strength of the alloy at ambient and elevated temperature is improved. For 2219NbZr alloy, the tensile tests show that 0.2% proof stress is 409 ± 10 MPa at room temperature and 252 ± 22 MPa at 200°C. Microstructural observations reveal that the increase in strength is mainly due to the high volume fraction of Al3Zr precipitates, which form during ageing at 400°C, and due to the formation of θ′′ and θ′precipitates during ageing at 200°C. It is observed that Al3Zr precipitates facilitate the nucleation of θ′′ and θ′ precipitates making them finer, homogeneously distributed and thermally stable, as in the case of 2219ScZr alloy.

The effect of individual additions of calcium oxide (CaO), Gd, Nd and Y was investigated on the microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of the as-cast ZK40 alloy. The microstructural features were analised using optical, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Scanning Kelvin Atomic Probe Force Microscopy. The compressive and tensile behaviours of the as-cast alloys at room temperature were investigated. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy, hydrogen evolution and weight loss under immersion in 0.5 wt.% NaCl solution were used to evaluate the corrosion behaviour. The results of the mechanical and corrosion tests were correlated with the microstructures. The 2 wt.% Gd addition enhanced the ductility, while the Nd addition resulted in deterioration in mechanical properties. The addition of 2 wt.% Gd and 1 wt.% Y resulted in the improvement of the ductility. The addition of CaO did not affect the mechanical properties while the 2 wt.% Nd deteriorate it. The 1 wt.% Y addition enhanced the ductility. The CaO addition did not caused enhancement in mechanical properties. The corrosion behaviour was enhanced with the addition of CaO and Gd. The modification of ZK40 with Gd opens up new perspectives in the development of Mg-Zn based alloys. / O efeito da adição individual de óxido de cálcio (CaO), Gd, Nd e Y foi investigado na microestrutura, propriedades mecânicas e resistência à corrosão de ligas ZK40 fundidas. As características microestruturais foram analisadas via microscopia óptica, microscopia eletrônica de varredura, microscopia eletrônica de transmissão, difração de Raios-X e \"Scanning Kelvin Atomic Probe Force Microscopy\". O comportamento à compressão e à tração das ligas à temperatura ambiente foi investigado. Espectroscopia eletroquímica de impedância, evolução de hidrogênio e ensaios de imersão em solução de 0.5% em peso de NaCl foram utilizados para avaliar a resistência à corrosão. Os resultados dos ensaios mecânicos e corrosão foram relacionados com a microestrutura. A adição de 2% em peso de Gd melhorou a ductilidade, ao passo que a adição de Nd resultou na piora das propriedades mecânicas. A adição de 2% em peso de Gd e 1% em peso de Y resultou na melhora da ductilidade. A adição de 1% em peso de Y causou uma melhora na ductilidade e a adição de CaO não teve impacto benéfico nas propriedades mecânicas. A resistência à corrosão foi melhorada com a adição de CaO e Gd. A modificação da liga ZK40 com a adição de Gd abre novas perspectivas no desenvolvimento de ligas Mg-Zn.

Magnesium alloys, owing to their low density and high specific strength, are potential candidates for structural applications in automotive and aerospace industry. While considerable research effort has been devoted in recent years to understand deformation twinning in these alloys and Mg single crystals, only few studies have been conducted on their fracture behavior. This issue assumes importance since some investigations have shown that Mg alloys may possess low fracture toughness (less than Al alloys). Therefore, a combined experimental and numerical study of fracture in Mg single crystals under mode-I loading is performed in this work. The fracture experiments are conducted using three point bend(TPB) specimens inside a scanning electron microscope(SEM) stage equipped with specially designed fixtures. Three crystallographic orientations are considered where c-axis [0001] is along the normal to the flat surface of the notch in the first two orientations, while in the third it is aligned with the notch front. In-situ electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD) observations are made in the region around the notch root to monitor the evolution of tensile twinning on the specimen free surface. Along with EBSD, optical metallography, fractography and surface profilometry are also performed on the specimens to obtain a comprehensive understanding on the micromechanics of fracture in Mg single crystals. From the EBSD data, it is noticed that all the orientations show profuse tensile twinning of {1012}-type. Further, in the first two orientations, basal and prismatic slip traces are identified along with secondary basal slip inside the twins. The growth of the most prominent twin is monitored as a function of load and it is found that its width saturates at around 120 -150 μm, while twins continue to nucleate farther away to accommodate plastic deformation. The 3D nature of twinning is examined by comparing distribution of twin traces and the average twin volume fraction at the free surface and the mid-plane. It is noted that in all the orientations crack initiation occurs before the attainment of peak load and the crack grows stably along twin-matrix interface. Further, zigzaging of the crack path occurs due to deflection of the crack at the twin-twin intersections. It is found that profuse tensile twinning is an important energy dissipating mechanism that enhances the toughness of the material. Indeed, the experimental results show that the energy release rate J versus load histories corroborate with evolution of average twin volume fraction around the notch root. In order to gain further insights on the mechanics of fracture in Mg single crystals, 3D finite element simulations are carried out using a crystal plasticity framework, which includes crystallographic slip and twinning. The predicted load-displacement curves, slip traces and tensile twinning activity from finite element analysis are in good corroboration with the experimental observations. The numerical results are used to understand the 3D nature of the crack tip stress, plastic slip and twin volume fraction distributions near the notch root. The occurrence of tensile twinning in all three orientations is rationalized from the distribution of nor-mal stress ahead of the notch tip. In particular, compressive normal stress beyond the plastic hinge point causes out-of-plane bulging that is accompanied by tensile twinning for the third orientation in which the c-axis is aligned along the specimen thickness. The above behavior emphasizes the importance of tensile twinning since this orientation has relevance to polycrystalline Mg alloys that have a basal texture.

Magnesium alloys have poor formability at room temperature, due to a limited number of slip systems owing to the hexagonal closed packed structure of magnesium. One possibility to increase the formability of magnesium alloys is to refine the grain size. A fine grain magnesium alloy shows high strength and high ductility at room temperature, hence an improved formability. In addition to grain refinement, the formability of Mg alloys can be improved by controlling crystallographic texture. Severe plastic deformation (SPD) processes namely, equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) and multi-axial forging (MAF) have led to improvement in room temperature mechanical property of magnesium alloys. Further, it has been reported that by adding rare earth elements, room temperature ductility is enhanced to nearly 30%. The increase in property is attributed to crystallographic texture. Many rare earth elements have been added to magnesium alloys and new alloy systems have been developed. Amongst these elements, Ce addition has been shown to enhance the tensile ductility in rolled sheets at room temperature by causing homogeneous deformation. It has been observed that processing of rare-earth containing alloys below 300°C is difficult. Processing at higher temperatures leads to grain growth which ultimately leads to low strength at room temperature. The present thesis is an attempt to combine the effect SPD and rare earth addition, and to examine the overall effect on microstructure and texture, hence on room temperature mechanical properties. In this thesis, Mg-0.2%Ce alloy has been studied with regard to the two SPD processes, namely, ECAP and MAF. The thesis has been divided into six chapters. Chapter 1 is dedicated to introduction and literature review pertaining to different severe plastic deformation processes as applied to different Mg alloys. Chapter 2 includes the details of experimental techniques and characterization procedures, which are commonly employed for the entire work. Chapter 3 addresses the effect of ECAP on the evolution of texture and microstructure in Mg-0.2%Ce alloy. ECAP has been carried out on two different initial microstructure and texture in the starting condition, namely forged and extruded. ECAP has been successfully carried out for the forged billets at 250°C while cracks get developed in the extruded billet when ECAP was done at 250°C. The difference in the deformation behaviour of the two alloys has been explained on the basis of the crystallographic texture of the initial materials. The microstructure of the ECAP materials indicates the occurrence of recrystallization. The recrystallization mechanism is identified as “continuous dynamic recovery and recrystallization” (CDRR) and is characterized by a rotation of the deformed grains by ~30⁰ along c-axis. The yield strengths and ductility of the two ECAP materials have been found quite close. However, there is a difference in the yield strength as well as ductility values when the materials were tested under compression. The extruded billet has the tension compression asymmetry ~1.7 while the forged material has the asymmetry as ~2.2. After ECAP, the yield asymmetry reduces to ~1 for initially extruded billet, while for the initially forged billet the yield asymmetry value reduces to ~1.9. In chapter 4, the evolution of microstructure and texture was examined using another severe plastic deformation technique, namely multi axial forging (MAF). In this process, the material was plastically deformed by plane strain compression subsequently along all three axes. In this case also two different initial microstructures and texture were studied, namely the material in as cast condition and the extruded material. The choice of initial materials in this case was done in order to examine the effect of different initial grain size in addition to different textures. By this method, the alloy Mg-0.2%Ce could be deformed without fracture at a minimum temperature of 350⁰C leading to fine grain size (~3.5 µm) and a weak texture. Grain refinement was more in the initial cast billets compared to the initial extruded billet after processing. The mechanism of grain refinement has been identified as twin assisted dynamic recrystallization (TDRX) and CDRR type. The mechanical properties under tension as well as under compression were also evaluated in the present case. The initially extruded billet has shown low tension compression asymmetry (~1.2) than cast billet (~1.9), after MAF. Chapter 5 addresses the exclusive effect of texture on room temperature tensile properties of the alloy. Different textures were the outcomes of ECAP and MAF processes. In this case, in order to obtain an exact role of texture, a third of deformation mode, rolling, was also introduced. All the processed materials were annealed to obtain similar grain size but different texture. A similar strength and ductility for ECAP and MAF, where the textures were qualitatively very different, was attributed to the fact that texture of both the ECAP and MAF processed materials, was away from the ideal end orientation for tensile tests. In chapter 7, the final outcomes of the thesis have been summarized and scope for the future work has been presented.

The recent emphasis on magnesium alloys can be appreciated by following the research push from several agencies, universities and editorial efforts. With a density equal to two-thirds of Al and one-thirds of steel, Mg provides the best opportunity for lightweighting of metallic components. However, one key bottleneck restricting its insertion into industrial applications is low strength values. In this respect, Mg-Y-Nd alloys have been promising due to their ability to form strengthening precipitates on the prismatic plane. However, if the strength is compared to Al alloys, these alloys are not attractive. The primary reason for low structural performance in Mg is related to low alloying and microstructural efficiency. In this dissertation, these terminologies are discussed in detail. A simple calculation showed that the microstructural efficiency in Mg-4Y-3Nd alloy is 30% of its maximum potential. Guided by the definitions of alloying and microstructural efficiency, the two prime objectives of this thesis were to: (i) to use thermomechanical processing routes to tailor the microstructure and achieve high strength in an Mg-4Y-3Nd alloy, and (ii) optimize the alloy chemistry of the Mg-rare earth alloy and design a novel rare—earth free Mg alloy by Calphad approach to achieve a strength of 500 MPa. Experimental, theoretical and computational approaches have been used to establish the process-structure-property relationships in an Mg-4Y-3Nd alloy. For example, increase in strength was observed after post aging of the friction stir processed/additive manufactured microstructure. This was attributed to the dissolution of Mg2Y particles which increased the alloying and microstructural efficiency. Further quantification by numerical modeling showed that the effective diffusivity during friction stir processing and friction stir welding is 60 times faster than in the absence of concurrent deformation leading to the dissolution of thermally stable particles. In addition, the investigation on the interaction between dislocations and strengthening precipitate revealed that, specific defects like the I1 fault aid in the accelerated precipitation of the strengthening precipitate in an Mg-4Y-3Nd alloy. Also, the effect of external field (ultrasonic waves) was studied in detail and showed accelerated age hardening response in Mg-4Y-3Nd alloy by a factor of 24. As the bottleneck of low strength is addressed, the answers to the following questions are discussed in this dissertation: What are the fundamental micro-mechanisms governing second phase evolution in an Mg-4Y-3Nd alloy? What is the mechanical response of different microstructural states obtained by hot rolling, friction stir processing and friction stir additive manufacturing? Is defect engineering critical to achieve high strength Mg alloys? Can application of an external field influence the age hardening response in an Mg-4Y-3Nd alloy? Can a combination of innovative processing for tailoring microstructures and computational alloy design lead to new and effective paths for application of magnesium alloys?

When skeletal fractures are too extensive for fixation with plates and screws, autografts are the most used technique for treating this. Within the biomedical field the interest in biodegradable implants made from additive manufacturing have increased. Magnesium alloys has also gained interest because of its favorable mechanical properties.. The objective of this project is to report on new knowledge, possibilities and limitations of powder bed fusion-laser beam (PBF-LB) printed magnesium-based alloys for biomedical applications, specifically the mechanical properties of WE43. Before the practical work was carried through, a gathering of literature from scientific papers was put together to a background with information regarding Magnesium, additive manufacturing, microscopic observation methods and mechanical testing.  The practical elements were divided into 4 different categories: printing, sample preparation for observation and testing, microscopic observation, and mechanical testing. All the collected data was observed and discussed, and lastly compiled in to a result with microscopic images, stress-strain curves and data tables. It was discovered that the mechanical properties differed between the two build orientations. The specimen most appropriate for load bearing implants was the horizontal build direction. The differences between 67° and 90° scan strategy were that the 90° scan strategy with horizontal build orientation showed the lowest Young´s modulus which is favorable, whereas the 67° scan strategy showed higher tensile strength and ductility which also is favorable. Thereby no conclusion could be drawn on whether a 67° or 90° scan strategy was preferable. The conclusion was made that a horizontal build orientation had the most optimal mechanical properties, and that more research needs to be conducted on this topic before it can be used for biomedical applications.

The glass-forming composition ranges in Al-La-Ni and Mg-TM (Cu, Zn)-Y alloys were predicted using Miedema’s model. Glass-forming abilities of Al-La-Ni alloys and Mg-Cu-RE alloys were studied in terms of reduced glass transition temperature (Trg), supercooled liquid region (∆Tx) and γ parameters. The glass-forming ability parameters of Mg-Cu-RE (RE: rare-earth) alloys were correlated with Mendeleev number. The Miedema model has been used to determine glass-forming composition range in binary Al-La, Al-Ni and La-Ni alloy systems and the ternary Al-La-Ni system by neglecting the ternary interactions. The glass-forming composition range for Al-La, Al-Ni and La-Ni alloy systems extends from 5 to 90 at% La, 30 to 80 at% Ni and 5 to 95 at% Ni, respectively. In these systems the predicted glass-forming composition range is wider than the experimentally observed range. Miedema model, restricting the difference of enthalpy of formation between the amorphous and solid solution phases to within –10000 J/mole to –55000 J/mole gives rise to better prediction of glass-forming composition range compared to the original models. The concept of mixing enthalpy and mismatch entropy has been used in order to quantify Inoue’s criteria of glass formation. The mixing enthalpy and normalised mismatch entropy of the ternary Al-La-Ni alloys, calculated by the extended regular solution model, vary between –12 to –40 kJ/mol and 0.16 to 0.65, respectively. The enthalpy contour plot has been constructed to distinguish the glass-forming compositions on the basis of the increasing negative enthalpy of the composition. Six Al rich Al-La-Ni alloys with nominal compositions Al89La6Ni5, Al85La10Ni5, Al85La5Ni10, Al82La8Ni10, Al80La10Ni10 and Al60La20Ni20 three La rich Al-La-Ni alloys with nominal compositions Al34La33Ni33, Al40La40Ni20 and Al25La50Ni25 have been chosen from the Al-La-Ni ternary phase diagram, to study the glass-forming ability of Al-La-Ni ternary alloy system and the correlation between La-based and Al-based glasses. All the alloys have been prepared using arc melting unit. All the alloy ribbons have been prepared using single-wheel vacuum melt-spinning unit. Two different wheel speeds of 20 m/s and 40 m/s were used for preparing ribbons of all the nine alloys. All the Al-La-Ni compositions, excluding equi-atomic composition (Al34La33Ni33) and Al60La20Ni20, give rise to amorphous phases. The supercooled liquid region and reduced glass transition temperature of this system increases with a decrease in Al content and an increase in La content. The glass-forming ability of the Al rich Al-La-Ni alloys is lower than that of the La-rich Al-La-Ni alloys. The glass-forming ability has been explained by taking into account the binary heat of mixing and the atomic radius mismatch of the constituent elements. Preferential crystallisation takes place during the heat treatment of glassy ribbons. The crystalline products are partially influenced by composition and binary heat of mixing between elements. Mg65Cu25Y10 alloy is a classical glass former of a family of Mg-based alloys. The partial or complete substitution of Y with other rare earth elements has been introduced to correlate the Mendeleev Number with the glass-forming ability parameters: reduced glass transition temperatures (Trg = Tg/Tl), supercooled liquid regions (∆Tx = Tx – Tg) and γ-criterion (TX/(Tg + Tm)). Mg-Cu-RE alloys with nominal compositions Mg65Cu25Y10, Mg65Cu25Y5Gd5, Mg65Cu25Y5Nd5, Mg65Cu25Gd10 and Mg65Cu25Nd10 were chosen for this work. The high reduced glass transition temperature, wider supercooled liquid region and higher γ value of Mg-Cu-Gd-Y amorphous alloy compared to Mg-Cu-Y and Mg-Cu-Nd-Y systems indicates that Mg-Cu-Gd-Y alloys possess higher glass-forming ability. The devitrification of all Mg-Cu-RE glassy alloys used for this work give rise to Mg2Cu (oF48) phase, which is known as anti-Laves phase. The glass-forming composition range for binary and ternary Mg-Cu-Y systems was calculated using Miedema’s model. The development of accurate methods of prediction of glass-forming ability in metallic systems is an important challenge. Pettifor has pioneered the Structure Mapping approach to binary intermetallics. The Pettifor approach can be adapted to the designing of bulk metallic glasses (BMGs). This method has been used to design Al-based and Mg-based BMG’s. Pettifor introduced an integer parameter to characterize the elements, which he called the Mendeleev Number. Essentially, Pettifor’s scheme orders the elements in a sequence of increasing electronegativity. With respect to Mendeleev Number, the Mg-Cu-RE system can be regarded as a binary system, because of the closeness of Mg and Cu (Mg:73, Cu:72, Y:25, Gd:27 and Nd:30). For this system, Mendeleev Number is a more effective parameter than atomic size (Mg: 1.60 Å, Cu: 1.27 Å), as a predictor of glass-forming ability. The effect of Y and rare earth elements on glass forming ability is similar. The atomic number of Y (39) is away from that of the rare earth elements and the Mendeleev Number of Y (25) comes in between those of the rare earth elements. Mg-Zn-Y system is an interesting system for researchers because of higher strength of these alloys. This system draws the crystallographers’ attention due to its composition-dependent structure variations. The Mg-rich RS/PM Mg-Zn-Y alloys yield superior mechanical properties. Therefore, the Mg-rich Mg-Zn-Y system has been chosen to study the microstructural evolution, even though the theoretical calculations for the glass-forming composition range for the Mg-Zn-Y system shows that this system is not a good glass former. Mg-Zn-Y system with nominal compositions Mg97Zn1Y2, Mg97Zn2Y1, Mg97−xZn1Y2Zrx and Mg92Zn6.5Y1.5 were chosen to study the microstructural evolution of these alloys. A small increase in Zn amount (above 2 at.%) in Mg-rich Mg-Y system results in quasicrystalline particles embedded in the matrix, whereas the addition of Zn up to 2 at.% leads to microstructural changes in the α-Mg solid solution.

The horizontal twin-roll casting (TRC) process is an energy saving and cost-efficient method for producing near-net-shape sheets of castable metals for light-weight production. In order to investigate the TRC process numerically, a code is generated in OpenFOAM and the commercial software STAR-CCM+ is used. Both are validated with the Stefan problem, the gallium melting test case, and a continuous casting experiment for magnesium AZ31. Different solidification models are tested that are similar to solution domain definitions and solid-fraction temperature relations. The comparison with temperature measurements of the MgF GmbH Freiberg pilot plant and the final microstructure exhibits good correlation. Sensitivity studies are carried out for thermophysical properties of AZ31 as well as pilot plant parameters. Furthermore, the rolls are incorporated into the simulation to determine the effect of a location-dependent heat-transfer coefficient. Finally, the results are compared to a second pilot plant situated at the Helmholtz-Centre Geesthacht in order to explore differences and similarities. / Das horizontales Gießwalzen ist eine energiesparende und kostengünstige Methode zur Erzeugung von Flachprodukten, die im Leichtbau verwendet werden. Um dieses Verfahren numerisch zu untersuchen wurde ein Programmcode in OpenFOAM entwickelt und die kommerzielle Software STAR-CCM+ verwendet, wobei beide mit dem Stefan Problem, dem Schmelzen von Gallium und Messdaten des Stranggusses von Magnesium AZ31 validiert wurden. Verschiedene Erstarrungsmodelle werden ebenso getestet wie Variationen des Simulationsbereiches und Feststoff-Temperatur-Verläufe. Vergleiche mit Temperaturmessdaten der Pilotanlage MgF GmbH Freiberg und der finalen Mikrostruktur zeigen gute Übereinstimmungen. Sensitivitätsanalysen werden durchgeführt, um die Einflüsse von thermophysikalischen Eigenschaften und Anlagenparametern abzuschätzen. Des Weiteren werden die Walzen in die Simulation mit einbezogen, um den Effekt eines lokal veränderlichen Wärmeübergangskoeffizienten zu beurteilen. Schließlich werden die Ergebnisse mit denen einer zweiten Pilotanlage am Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht verglichen. / Le laminage de coulée continue horizontal possède une faible consommation d’énergie et est bon marché pour la production des feuilles de métaux coulables utilisés dans la construction légère. Afin d’examiner ce processus numériquement, un code est généré dans OpenFOAM et le logiciel commercial STAR-CCM+ est utilisé, tous les deux sont validés en utilisant le problème de Stefan, la fusion du gallium et la coulée continue verticale de magnésium AZ31. Plusieurs modèles de solidification sont testés, ainsi que la variation du domaine de simulation, et des rélations entre la teneur en matière solide et la température. Des comparaisons avec des résultats de mesures de la température à l’installation pilote de MgF GmbH Freiberg ainsi que la microstructure donnent des bons résultats. Des analyses de sensibilité sont effectuées afin d’évaluer l’influence des propriétés thermophysiques et des paramètres de l’installation. De plus, les cylindres sont intégrés dans la simulation pour estimer l’impact du coefficient de transfert de chaleur dépendant du lieu. Finalement, les résultats sont comparés avec ceux du Helmholtz-Centre Geesthacht.

Magnesium alloys have been widely explored as potential biomaterials, but several limitations to using these materials have prevented their widespread use, such as uncontrollable degradation kinetics which alter their mechanical properties. In an attempt to further the applicability of magnesium and its alloys for biomedical purposes, two novel magnesium alloys Mg-Zn-Cu and Mg-Zn-Se were developed with the expectation of improving upon the unfavorable qualities shown by similar magnesium based materials that have previously been explored. The overall performance of these novel magnesium alloys has been assessesed in three distinct phases of research: 1) analysing the mechanical properties of the as-cast magnesium alloys, 2) evaluating the biocompatibility of the as-cast magnesium alloys through the use of in-vitro cellular studies, and 3) profiling the degradation kinetics of the as-cast magnesium alloys through the use of electrochemical potentiodynamic polarization techqnique as well as gravimetric weight-loss methods. As compared to currently available shape memory alloys and degradable as-cast alloys, these experimental alloys possess superior as-cast mechanical properties with elongation at failure values of 12% and 13% for the Mg-Zn-Se and Mg-Zn-Se alloys, respectively. This is substantially higher than other as-cast magnesium alloys that have elongation at failure values that range from 7-10%. Biocompatibility tests revealed that both the Mg-Zn-Se and Mg-Zn-Cu alloys exhibit low cytotoxicity levels which are suitable for biomaterial applications. Gravimetric and electrochemical testing was indicative of the weight loss and initial corrosion behavior of the alloys once immersed within a simulated body fluid. The development of these novel as-cast magnesium alloys provide an advancement to the field of degradable metallic materials, while experimental results indicate their potential as cost-effective medical devices.

The dissertation thesis deals with the modification of the surface of advanced magnesium alloys with Ni-P based coatings. At the beginning of the theoretical part, the structures of the used magnesium alloys and the influence of individual alloying elements on their properties are characterized. In the following part of the thesis the current knowledge in the field of electroless deposition on metal substrates is summarized. The theoretical part of the thesis is closed with contemporary research study in the field of clarification and determination of possible mechanism of electroless deposition. For the subsequent investigation of the mechanism of electroless deposition on magnesium alloys, it was necessary to characterize the microstructure and composition of individual magnesium alloys in the first phase of the experimental part. The exact composition of elements was determined using glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy with EDS was used for composition of phases of magnesium alloys. Using scanning electron microscopy and detailed elemental analysis of the coated magnesium substrate, it was found that for optimal Ni-P coating deposition on magnesium alloys, acid pickling prior coating is required in a mixture of acetic acid and sodium nitrate. Using the XPS method, it was found that the phosphorus atom in the sodium dihydride-diphosphate reducing agent has a + V charge. 4 At the end of the experimental part scanning electron microscopy and detailed elemental analyses were used for monitoring of the Ni-P particles nucleation and growth in the first 120 seconds of the coating process.