Superficial influence of ball burnishing on AZ31B magnesium alloy to improve its anticorrosive performance for application as bone implants

• P.D. Martínez-Colmillo¹, A. Márquez-Herrera², S. Montesinos-González³ and J. Moreno-Palmerin⁴

¹ Division of Postgraduate Studies, Universidad Tecnológica de la Mixteca, Huajuapan de León, Oaxaca, C.P. 69000, Mexico
² Department of Agricultural Mechanical Engineering, Universidad de Guanajuato, Ex Hacienda El Copal carretera Irapuato-Silao km 9, C.P. 36500, Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
³ Institute of Industrial and Automotive Engineering, Universidad Tecnológica de la Mixteca, Huajuapan de León, Oaxaca, C.P. 69000, Mexico
⁴ Department of Mining, Metallurgy and Geology, Universidad de Guanajuato, Ex Hacienda San Matías s/n, C.P. 36020, Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico

Abstract: This study investigates the effect of ball burnishing on the surface integrity, microhardness, corrosion resistance, and microstructural evolution of AZ31B magnesium alloy for potential biomedical applications. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) based on a Central Composite Design was employed to optimize the burnishing parameters, considering feed rate and burnishing force as input variables. The optimal processing parameters were identified at a feed rate of 79.05 mm/min and a burnishing force of 142.84 N, producing an average microhardness of 123.48 HV_0.3 and a surface roughness of 0.173 µm. Electrochemical analyses performed in Ringer’s solution demonstrated a significant improvement in corrosion resistance after burnishing. The charge transfer resistance increased from 1512 Ω for the control sample to 4318 Ω for the optimally treated sample, while the corrosion rate decreased from 0.123 mm/year to 0.008 mm/year. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed slight lattice expansion without phase transformation, suggesting plastic deformation and grain refinement induced by burnishing. These enhancements are attributed to the burnishing-induced plastic deformation, which refined the grain size from 7.44 µm to 3.93 µm and increased the lattice strain, as confirmed by X-ray diffraction and microstructural analysis. These findings demonstrate that ball burnishing is an effective and low-cost surface modification technique capable of simultaneously improving the mechanical and electrochemical performance of AZ31B alloy.

Keywords: AZ31B, burnishing, microhardness, roughness, corrosion

Int. J. Corros. Scale Inhib., 2026, 15, no. 2, 451-475
doi: 10.17675/2305-6894-2026-15-2-24

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