Effects of rolling reductions on the microstructures and mechanical properties of Zn-1Mg-0.3Nd alloys

Due to their advantageous biocompatibility and adjustable degradation rates, zinc alloys are increasingly recognized as potential materials for biodegradable implants. Nevertheless, the suboptimal mechanical properties of traditional Zn-Mg alloys pose a significant limitation to their broader clinical use. This study proposes a dual optimization strategy that integrates rare earth neodymium (Nd) alloying with room-temperature rolling, systematically exploring the effects of varying rolling reductions (50 %, 60 %, 70 %, 80 %) on the microstructure-property relationships in Zn-1Mg-0.3Nd alloys. With increasing rolling reduction, the synergistic evolution of eutectic structures and NdZn11 phases intensifies basal texture development, leading to exceptional mechanical properties at 80 % reduction: tensile yield strength of 247.9 ± 2.5 MPa, ultimate tensile strength of 339.1 ± 1.9 MPa, and fracture elongation of 13.8 ± 0.13 %. Mechanistic analysis reveals that dislocation pinning by NdZn11 contributes to strength elevation, while their microcrack strain-accommodation capability and multi-slip system coordination effectively mitigate strain softening. These findings elucidate the pivotal role of rare earth element Nd in toughening Zn alloys through thermomechanical processing, providing critical insights for developing next-generation biodegradable metallic implants.