Effect of Remelting Strategy on the Laser In-situ Alloying and Forming Performance of Zn-3Mg

Zinc alloys have gained attention due to their degradation dynamics and biocompatibility. Selective Laser Melting (SLM) presents a customized fabrication approach for degradable zinc alloys. However, challenges arise when fabricating zinc alloy via SLM, affecting part performance. This study employed SLM and remelting strategy to prepare Zn-3Mg using mixed pure zinc and magnesium powder. The relationship between the SLM process and the microstructure and mechanical properties of the resultant components was explored. The remelting strategy significantly influenced the surface multi-track and uniformed the microstructure during laser in-situ alloying. Density increased to 99.54% after single laser re-scan and 98.66% after twice, with microhardness rising to 171.0 ± 9.3HV and 171.5 ± 9.7HV respectively. However, improper remelting can induce thermal cracking and decrease both ultimate tensile strength and elongation due to the acceleration of cooling rates. The results show that the remelting strategy effectively produced Zn-3Mg with high densification and uniform element distribution.