Cryogenic ultrasonic vibration assisted turning to texturize AZ31 magnesium alloy surfaces

Abstract

AbstractMagnesium alloys are increasingly used in the biomedical field thanks to their biocompatibility. However, poor corrosion resistance greatly limits their applications. Coating the devices is known to represent the most efficient way to increase the corrosion performances of magnesium alloys, but it requires specific surface preparation of the metal substrate. In the present paper, a hybrid machining technology, namely cryogenic–ultrasonic-assisted turning, is applied to generate magnesium alloy texturized surfaces with enhanced surface integrity characteristics. Results showed that the application of liquid nitrogen led to a harder and more complex surface texture than in the case of ultrasonic-assisted turning under dry conditions.