Composite number

Engineering

Materials science

Graphene

Telecommunications

Computer science

Chemical engineering

Nanotechnology

Alloy

Microsphere

Degradation (telecommunications)

Microstructure

Composite material

Glass microsphere

Compressive strength

Exfoliation joint

Journal of Alloys and Compounds

To obtain low density degradable materials used as degradable fracturing balls and bridge plugs applied to the unconventional oil and gas exploitation, the HGM/Mg alloy degradable composites with various amounts of hollow glass microspheres (HGMs) were manufactured using the stir casting method. The effects of the HGMs addition on the microstructures, mechanical properties and degradation behaviors of the composites were investigated. The results indicate that the density of the composite is significantly reduced compared to the matrix alloy and the density decreases with the HGMs content increasing. When the addition of HGMs is less than 3 wt%, the compressive strength of the composites was enhanced with the increase of the HGMs content due to the grain refinement and second phase strengthening. The composites with 3 wt% HGMs exhibit maximum compressive strength of 414.50 MPa. Adding HGMs is conducive to the formation of more corrosion micro-batteries in the composites and the exfoliation of degradation products during the degradation process, and thus dramatically improve the degradation rate of HGMs/Mg alloy degradable composites, the composites with 5 wt% HGMs have the highest average degradation rate of 97.37 mg cm−2 h−1.

Preparation and properties of hollow glass microspheres reinforced Mg alloy degradable composites