Effect of Ag and Cu Content on the Properties of Zn-Ag-Cu-0.05Mg Alloys

Zn-Ag-Cu alloys have recently attracted attention as alloy candidates for biomedical applications, but, to date, they have not achieved the required mechanical properties. To improve the mechanical properties of Zn-Ag-Cu-base alloys, in this work, the effects of the presence of increasing amounts of Ag and Cu as alloying elements on the properties of four 0.05% Mg-micro-alloyed Zn-Ag-Cu base alloys are explored. The alloys were manufactured in an electric furnace with a protective atmosphere using increasing amounts of Ag and Cu as alloying agents, and were cast in a metallic mold. The samples obtained were thermomechanically processed by hot extrusion. Three of the four alloys under study presented increasing amounts of the second phase (Ag, Cu)Zn4, high mechanical properties, a microstructure and mechanical behavior characteristic of heteromaterials with a heterogeneous lamella-structure, and met the requirements of the mechanical properties, corrosion rate, antibacterial properties against S. aureus, and the cytotoxicity required for biomedical applications. It seems possible to tune the properties of the ZnAgCu-0.05% Mg alloys by changing the Ag and Cu contents.