Effect of Heat Treatment on Microstructure Homogeneity of Zn-3Mg Alloy

Abstract

The Zn based alloy has a high potential to be the next generation of biodegradable implant material. Development of this biomaterial involves casting process which often associated with various defects. In this study, Zn-3Mg alloy was prepared using conventional casting method and followed by homogenization treatment (370°C for 10hr) with the aim to improve the microstructure uniformity. Microscopic images show that as-cast Zn-3Mg alloy consists of segregated Zn-rich structure of star-like dendritic shape and eutectic mixture of Mg2Zn11 phase. It is observed that after the heat treatment process thissegregation has been dispersed well and results in a more uniform microstructure of Zn-3Mg alloy with low fraction of casting defects.