In Situ Tomographic Investigation of the Combined Effect of Mechanical Load and Degradation on Mg2Y1Zn(Gd, Ag, Ca)

The mechanical propertiesMechanical Properties of Mg can be substantially improved by the addition of YY and Zn. Further, alloying elements modify the secondary phases formed by the former, enabling to tailor the properties. Samples of pure Mg1.8Y0.6Zn and modified with 1.6 wt% Gd, 1 wt% Ag, or 0.4 wt% of Ca were subjected to in situ tensile testing with a strain rate of 103 s−1 and 10–4 s−1 in air and submerged in NaCl solution and SBF, respectively. During testing, synchrotron tomographies were acquired to follow the crack evolution and the interaction of mechanical and corrosionCorrosion damage until failure. The results show that the degradationDegradation media has a drastic effect on the mechanical properties in all the alloys, changing the brittle fracture in air to a more ductile behaviour in media. Lower strain rates, due to the longer duration of the experiment, enable the degradation to have a more profound effect.