Effect of structure and texture on the mechanical characteristics of magnesium alloys processed by equal-channel angular pressing
ECAP was carried out with a gradual decrease in temperature and an increase in the number of passes on two medical magnesium alloys: WE43 (Mg-3.56%Y-2.20%Nd-0.47%Zr) and ZX10 (Mg-1.0%Zn-0.3%Ca). It was shown that ECAP leads to a significant refinement of the alloys structure. For ZX10 alloy, the average grain size after ECAP decreased from ~ 105 μm in the initial state to 8 ± 0.18 μm in the longitudinal section and to 4 ± 0.19 μm in the transverse one. For the WE43 alloy, the average grain size was changed from 70 μm to 0.69 ± 0.13 μm and the precipitation of particles of the Mg41Nd5 phase with an average size of 0.45 ± 0.18 μm was also discovered. At the same time, the grain refinement led to an increase in the strength characteristics of the both alloys (including fatigue strength), and increased prismatic slip activity (along with the formation of an inclined basal texture in ZX10 alloy) led to an increase in their ductility. The alloy structure formed during the ECAP process does not lead to a decreasing in resistance to chemical corrosion.