Optimization of Mechanical Properties of Biodegradable Zn-Mg-Cu Alloys for Pediatric Orthopedic Applications

Abstract

The research for biodegradable metals for pediatric orthopedic applications with suitable mechanical strength is still ongoing. Previous study demonstrates that although Zinc has a suitable corrosion rate but it possesses low mechanical strength which is not suitable for pediatric orthopedic applications. On the other hand, magnesium and copper have a suitable mechanical property and their addition in Zn based alloys make them a potential candidate for Orthopedic applications. This study aims to develop Zinc-based biodegradable alloys using powder metallurgical processing technique and to analyze their properties using different techniques (SEM, EDX, XRD, hardness, UTM and AAS). It was concluded that addition of magnesium has increased the density, compressive strength and microhardness of the Zinc alloys due to small grain size. However, inclusion of copper to Zn-Mg alloys enhanced the density, microhardness and compressive strength further due to formation of rich intermetallic phases. Analysis of AAS revealed the increased concentration of release of Zinc ions and loss of Zn mass in stimulated body fluid (SBF) after degradation of Zn alloys in different time intervals.