Effect of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the Micro-Hardness and Corrosion Behaviour Mg-Zn Alloy Prepared by Powder Metallurgy

Abstract

Magnesium Alloys have the potential to be applied in the various fields of applications including biomaterials. Magnesium Alloys are an interesting alloy due to its high strength to density ratio. They have been proposed as a biodegradable implant material due to its friendly effect to human body compared to another alloy. Besides its good biodegradable properties, it has a disadvantage of low hardness and corrosion properties. In order to overcome this, it has been combined with other metals such as Zinc (Zn) or Copper (Cu). To increase mechanical properties, we used Carbon Nanotubes (CNT) as reinforcement. Magnesium-Zinc (Mg-xZn) CNTs composites with several compositions was prepared by using powder metallurgy and sintered in the presence of flowing Argon (Ar) gas in tube furnace. Mg-Zn Alloy with the composition of 4% and 6% of Zn and the variation of CNTs at 0.1%, 0.3 %, and 0.5% was also prepared. Hardness testing by using microvickers showed that CNTs can increase the alloy hardness which the maximum hardness is 53.6 HV. The corrosion rates as low as 175.5 mpy exhibited for the Mg-Alloy with the composition of Mg-4-Zn with 0.1 wt.% of CNTs