Potential of Biodegradable Magnesium Alloys for Medical Applications

Abstract

Biodegradability of magnesium alloys in physiological media is important for material use in implant manufacture industry. Two industrial Mg alloys ZQ71 and ZQ63 were investigated. Optical microscopy was used to put in evidence microstructure. The conclusions are correlated with obtained results after scanning electron microscopy investigations coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The evaluation of the hydrogen released rate was analyzed in laboratory made simulated body fluid (SBF) and Hanks’ solution at 37°C for 10 days. Different degradation rates are obtained, and it can be concluded that they depend on chemical composition of the alloys and on immersion time of the samples in different physiological solutions.