Physical and Numerical Modelling of Wire Drawing Process of Mg Alloys in Heated Dies Accounting for Recrystallization

Abstract

Magnesium-calcium alloys with increased bio-compatibility are applied in medicine for sake of high compatibility and solubility in human body. Production of surgical threads to integration of tissue may be one of the applications of those types of alloys. A new manufacturing process of thin wires made of biocompatible Mg alloys, including drawing in heated dies, was developed in Authors previous works. Conducting drawing process in conditions, in which recrystallization occurs, is the basis of the process. This allows for multi-pass drawing without intermediate annealing. Control of recrystallization after every pass using experimental method is complex so numerical simulation seems to be a rational method to design the process parameters. The purpose of the paper is developing a mathematical model of recrystallization for MgCa08 alloy, its implementation into the finite element (FE) code that simulates wire drawing and experimental verification of the numerical calculations. The first part of work was focused on the development of mathematical model of wire drawing process of Mg alloys in heated die. Proposed model takes into account thermal phenomena in the wire and in the die, plastic flow of the material, stress-strain state and recrystallization. The fracture criterion was implemented into FE code to eliminate the possibility of damage. The second part of the work was focused on experiments including upsetting and tensile tests for calibration of recrystallization and fracture models. Recrystallization model was calibrated on the basis of flow curves only what is a limitation. Therefore, experimental wire drawing on drawing bench developed by the Authors was the final stage of the work performed to validate the model. Recrystallization during wire drawing was studied. The developed computer program enables prediction of the recrystallization kinetics during wire drawing in heated die for MgCa08 alloy. The model of static and dynamic recrystallization of this alloy and complex model of the drawing process were proposed in this work, as well.