Effect of Homogenization on Microstructure, Biocorrosion Resistance and Mechanical Properties of Mg-2Zn-0.1Ca Alloy

This study investigated the effects of different homogenization treatments on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and in vitro degradation behavior of an Mg-2Zn-0.1Ca alloy. The results indicated that homogenization significantly increased the alloy's grain size, reaching 1327.5 μm after 400°C/12-h treatment, an approximately 38.8% increase compared to 956.27 μm for the as-cast alloy. Regarding mechanical properties, homogenization markedly improved the tensile elongation, with the highest value of 20.8% achieved after 400/12-h treatment, representing an approximately 95% increase from the as-cast alloy's 10.66%. Conversely, the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) peaked at 138.53 MPa under the 350°C/12-h condition, an approximately 13% improvement over the as-cast state. In terms of in vitro degradation, homogenized alloys exhibited higher degradation rates than as-cast samples. Notably, the 400°C/12-h homogenization treatment resulted in the fastest corrosion rate, approximately 1.68 times higher than that of the as-cast alloy.