Effect of solution treatment of AZ91 alloy on microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion behavior of friction stir back extruded AZ91/bioactive glass composite

In the present study, we investigated the effects of solution treatment and friction stir back extrusion on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and in-vitro corrosion behavior of the AZ91/64SiO2–31CaO–5P2O5 composite. The findings demonstrate that the reinforcing phase of bioactive glass in the AZ91 matrix exhibits a gradient distribution, resulting in grain refinement in the zone near the surface of the composite wire. The fabrication of the AZ91-3 vol% bioactive glass composite through friction stir back extrusion, utilizing a rotational speed of 1200 rpm and an extrusion speed of 20 mm/min, leads to a significant improvement in corrosion resistance compared to the solid solutionized AZ91 alloy, as demonstrated by a ∼93% increase in simulated body fluid (SBF). During the friction stir back extrusion of the solid solutionized AZ91 alloy, heat and plastic deformation result in the re-precipitation of the ß-Mg17Al12 phase in the α-Mg matrix. The presence of bioactive glass particles facilitates this re-precipitation process during friction stir back extrusion. In comparison to the solid solutionized AZ91 alloy, the AZ91-3 vol% bioactive glass composite exhibits a 23% increase in ultimate tensile strength (UTS), a 28% increase in yield strength (YS), and a 30% decrease in elongation.