Introducing Mg-4Zn-3Gd-1Ca/ZnO nanocomposite with compressive strengths matching/exceeding that of mild steel

This work introduces Mg-4Zn-3Gd-1Ca/2ZnO (wt.%) nanocomposite fabricated using the technique of disintegrated melt deposition and extrusion. Addition of ZnO nanoparticles enhanced the compressive strengths of alloy by ~100 MPa. Nanocomposite samples display high strength and good ductility: 0.2% compressive yield stress of 355 MPa, ultimate compressive stress of 703 MPa, and compressive failure strain of 10.6%. The significant enhancement of compressive yield stress is mainly attributed to the grain refinement by adding nanoparticles. The strength levels exceed that of commercial magnesium alloys (i.e. WE43, WE54, ZK60, and ME21) and mild steels (i.e. S275 and S355), making Mg-4Zn-3Gd-1Ca/2ZnO a very promising material for multiple engineering and biomedical applications.