The search for lightweight high-performance materials is growing exponentially primarily due to ever-increasing stricter environmental regulations and stringent service conditions. To cater to these requirements, the use of lowcost reinforcements has been explored in the Mg matrix to develop Economically Conscious Magnesium (ECo-Mg) composites. In this study, eggshell particles (3, 5, and 7 wt%) reinforced Mg-Zn composites are synthesized using blend-press-sinter powder metallurgy technique. The results reveal that the addition of eggshell particles enhances microhardness, thermal stability, damping, and yield strength with an inappreciable change in the density. In particular, Mg2.5Zn7ES composite do not ignite till %750 C. The overall combination of properties exhibited by Mg-Zn-ES composites exceeds many of currently used commercial alloys in the transportation sector. An attempt is made, in this study, to interrelate microstructure and properties and to study the viability of compression and ignition properties with a comparison to commercially used Mg alloys.
Background:
Magnesium alloys and nanocomposites have been of great importance to automotive,
aerospace and marine industries owing to their superior specific mechanical properties, impact
resistance, superior damping capacities, and biocompatibility. Low-cost manufacturing of magnesium-
based materials is the key to realize the high impact. We reviewed patents relating to production
of magnesium- based materials using low cost techniques.
Objective:
Recent trends in the field of magnesium technology has driven researchers to develop magnesium
materials applicable in both structural and biomedical applications. Incorporation of biocompatible
secondary reinforcements into the magnesium matrix is important to meet the current requirements.
Methods: In the current study, low cost naturally available eggshell particles are reinforced into magnesium-
zinc alloy using powder metallurgy technique assisted microwave sintering technique and
tested for a mechanical, thermal and damping response.
Results:
Addition of eggshell improved the grain size of the Mg2.5Zn alloy by ~60%. The microhardness
values of Mg2.5Zn10ES composite is 73 Hv which is a significant 30% improvement when
compared to Mg2.5Zn alloy (56 Hv). Enhanced thermal stability was observed with the presence of
eggshell as Mg2.5Zn10ES composite did not self-ignite even at a temperature of 750°C. The compressive
yield strength of the composite was ~25% greater than the alloy owing to superior grain refinement
of ~60%.
Conclusion:
The presence of eggshell particles assisted in refining the microstructure, thereby significantly
enhancing the compression properties of the Mg-2.5Zn alloy and led to a better thermal and
dimensional stability of the synthesized composites. Structure-property correlations are drawn to understand
the behavior of the composites.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.