International Scientific Journals
of Scientific Technical Union of Mechanical Engineering "Industry 4.0"

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.

The paper presents the results of studies of tribological properties of the contact of the tool steel composition Fe-18W-4Cr-1,2V with the magnesium alloy AZ91D strengthened by submicron powder filling out of SiC and severe plastic deformation (SPD), namely equalchannel angular pressing (ECAP). It is stated that introduction of SiC powder filling to the magnesium alloy the friction coefficient on the moving frictional contact increases, the wear rate reduces. These tribotecnical characteristics are influenced by the size and volume of the particles of powder filling, normal loading force and slip rate. SPD of the initial material results in reduction of the adhesion constituent of the friction coefficient.

ECAP was conducted using route Bc with an angle of 120° between the die channels and a stepwise decrease of temperature from the initial 425 °C to 300 °C at the final, 12th pass. The cumulative equivalent strain the ECAP billets underwent was about 7.8. The structure examination showed that ultrafine-grained structure with the grain size of 0.69 – 1 μm was formed during ECAP process. In addition, particles of the phase Mg12Nd with an average size of 0.45 μm were formed. The refinement of the microstructure resulted in an improvement of the mechanical properties of the alloy. After ECAP, the strength characteristics of the alloy increased to the levels of ultimate tensile strength of 300 and yield strength of 260 MPa to be compared to those for the initial state (220 MPa and150 MPa, respectively). At the same time, the ductility increased to 13.2 %, which compares favourably with the initial value of 10.5 %. The ECAP process does not affect the resistance to electrochemical corrosion. The rate of chemical corrosion was found to be reduced owing to the ECAP processing.

ECAP was conducted using route Bc with an angle of 120° between the die channels and a stepwise decrease of temperature from the initial 425 °C to 300 °C at the final, 12th pass. The cumulative equivalent strain the ECAP billets underwent was about 7.8. The structure examination showed that ultrafine-grained structure with the grain size of 0.69 – 1 μm was formed during ECAP process. In addition, particles of the phase Mg12Nd with an average size of 0.45 μm were formed. The refinement of the microstructure resulted in an improvement of the mechanical properties of the alloy. After ECAP, the strength characteristics of the alloy increased to the levels of ultimate tensile strength of 300 and yield strength of 260 MPa to be compared to those for the initial state (220 MPa and150 MPa, respectively). At the same time, the ductility increased to 13.2 %, which compares favourably with the initial value of 10.5 %. The ECAP process does not affect the resistance to electrochemical corrosion. The rate of chemical corrosion was found to be reduced owing to the ECAP processing.