Synthesis of Ultralight Magnesium Alloys and Composites

Developing ultralight Mg alloys through innovative alloying and processing for structural applications.

This project focuses on synthesizing and characterizing ultralight magnesium-based alloys and composites, using advanced alloying and processing routes to significantly enhance mechanical performance for structural and biomedical applications.

Objectives

  • Design magnesium alloys with reduced density and improved strength for lightweight applications.
  • Evaluate silica nanoparticle additions in binary Mg-Li alloys to improve strength and ductility.
  • Study Mn addition in Mg-Zn-Ca alloys for yield strength enhancement with minimal density increase.

Methods

  • Synthesis: Alloys were produced using Disintegrated Melt Deposition (DMD) followed by extrusion and heat treatment to optimize microstructure.
  • Characterization:
    • SEM and XRD for analyzing microstructure and phase composition.
    • Mechanical testing using micro-hardness, compression, and damping behavior measurements to quantify performance enhancements.
Left: Final extruded product after processing. Right: Schematic representation of the Disintegrated Melt Deposition setup used for Mg alloy and composite synthesis.

Key Outcomes

  • Mg-Li-SiO₂ nanocomposites: Achieved a 65× increase in strength, 80% fracture strain, and 6% density reduction compared to pure Mg.
  • Mg-Zn-Ca-Mn alloys: 70% improvement in yield strength with <2% density increase.
  • Demonstrated potential for high-strength, lightweight materials for biomedical and structural applications.

Relevant Publications

  • Prasadh, S., Sreenivas Raguraman, R. Wong, and M. Gupta.
    Current Status and Outlook of Temporary Implants (Magnesium/Zinc) in Cardiovascular Applications,
    Metals, 12(6), 999, 2022.
    https://doi.org/10.3390/met12060999

  • Prasadh, S., Sreenivas Raguraman, R. Wong, and M. Gupta.
    Metallic Foams in Bone Tissue Engineering,
    In Nanoscale Engineering of Biomaterials: Properties and Applications, Springer Nature, 2022, pp. 181–205.
    https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-3667-7_7