Experimental Investigation of the Effects of Silver and Copper Content on the Fluidity of Biodegradable Zinc Alloys
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Alloy Preparation
2.2. Fluidity Test
2.3. Chemical Composition Analysis
2.4. Thermal Analysis
2.5. Phase Characterization
2.6. Microstructure Examination
3. Results and Discussion
3.1. Fluidity Results
3.2. DSC Analysis
3.3. XRD Analysis
3.4. Microstructure
4. Conclusions
- The incorporation of Ag and Cu into Zn progressively reduces alloy fluidity, with Cu causing a stronger reduction than Ag at equivalent concentrations. This effect is primarily associated with an increase in the solidification range (ΔT) and the formation of intermetallic phases.
- The addition of 0.5–1 wt.% Ag and 1–2 wt.% Cu represents critical ranges, corresponding to the onset of rapid ΔT increase and intermetallic phase formation (ε–AgZn3 for Zn–Ag alloys, CuZn5 for Zn–Cu alloys), which sharply reduce fluidity.
- The observed anomaly in which 1 wt.% Ag reduces fluidity more than 1 wt.% Cu highlights the sensitivity of Zn–Ag alloys to small Ag additions, likely due to early formation of ε–AgZn3 phases.
- Overall, the combined influence of increased ΔT, intermetallic phase formation, and dendritic microstructure evolution governs the melt flow behavior of Zn alloys.
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
| XRF | X-ray Fluorescence |
| DSC | Differential Scanning Calorimetry |
| XRD | X-ray Diffraction |
| SEM | Scanning Electron Microscopy |
| EDS | Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy |
| Powder Diffraction File |
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| Alloy | Cu [wt.%] | Ag [wt.%] | Zn [wt.%] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pure Zinc | - | - | 99.62 |
| Zn–0.5Cu | 0.56 | - | Balance |
| Zn–1Cu | 0.99 | - | Balance |
| Zn–2Cu | 1.98 | - | Balance |
| Zn–3Cu | 2.82 | - | Balance |
| Zn–0.5Ag | - | 0.57 | Balance |
| Zn–1Ag | - | 1.00 | Balance |
| Zn–2Ag | - | 1.81 | Balance |
| Zn–3Ag | - | 2.85 | Balance |
| Location | Zn (wt.%) | Ag (wt.%) | Cu (wt.%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 95.45 | - | - |
| 2 | 90.15 | 12.72 | - |
| 3 | 94.54 | 1.23 | - |
| 4 | 84.81 | - | 5.50 |
| 5 | 90.34 | - | - |
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Yavuzer, B. Experimental Investigation of the Effects of Silver and Copper Content on the Fluidity of Biodegradable Zinc Alloys. Crystals 2026, 16, 90. https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst16020090
Yavuzer B. Experimental Investigation of the Effects of Silver and Copper Content on the Fluidity of Biodegradable Zinc Alloys. Crystals. 2026; 16(2):90. https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst16020090
Chicago/Turabian StyleYavuzer, Bekir. 2026. "Experimental Investigation of the Effects of Silver and Copper Content on the Fluidity of Biodegradable Zinc Alloys" Crystals 16, no. 2: 90. https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst16020090
APA StyleYavuzer, B. (2026). Experimental Investigation of the Effects of Silver and Copper Content on the Fluidity of Biodegradable Zinc Alloys. Crystals, 16(2), 90. https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst16020090

