Abstract
Magnesium alloys are under consideration as biocompatible materials because they are light weight and biodegradable or bioabsorable in body fluids without causing health hazards. Zn
is an essential micro-nutrient in the body and its bio-absorption is beneficial when an orthopedic implant corrodes in a controlled manner, as is generally the case with wrought magnesium alloys. Hot working of cast material is an essential step towards obtaining optimal microstructure. In this investigation, the hot working behavior of Mg-1Zn alloy has been
investigated in the temperature range 300 – 500 oC and strain rate range 0.0003 – 10 s-1 with a view to evaluate the optimum processing parameters. A processing map has been developed on the basis of the flow stress data obtained from compression tests. The processing map reveals a narrow window of workability at low strain rates and a wide regime of flow instability
that should be avoided while forming this alloy.
