New horizon for high performance Mg-based biomaterial with uniform degradation behavior: Formation of stacking faults

Bone Remodeling Interaction with Magnesium Alloy Implants Studied by SEM and EDX

The development direction of bioresorbable fixing structures is currently very relevant because it corresponds to the priority areas in worldwide biotechnology development. Magnesium (Mg)-based alloys are gaining high levels of attention due to their promising potential use as the basis for fixating structures. These alloys can be an alternative to non-degradable metal implants in orthopedics, maxillofacial surgery, neurosurgery, and veterinary medicine. In our study, we formulated a Mg-2Zn-2Ga alloy, prepared pins, and analyzed their biodegradation level based on SEM (scanning electron microscopy) and EDX (energy-dispersive X-ray analysis) after carrying out an experimental study on rats. We assessed the resorption parameters 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery. In general, the biodegradation process was characterized by the systematic development of newly formed bone tissue. Our results showed that Mg-2Zn-2Ga magnesium alloys are suitable for clinical applications.

Mechanical Analysis and Corrosion Analysis of Zinc Alloys for Bioabsorbable Implants for Osteosynthesis

Zinc alloys have recently been researched intensely for their great properties as bioabsorbable implants for osteosynthesis. Pure zinc (Zn) itself has relatively poor strength, which makes it insufficient for most clinical use. Research has already proven that the mechanical strength of zinc can be enhanced significantly by alloying it with silver. This study evaluated zinc silver alloys (ZnAg) as well as novel zinc silver titanium alloys (ZnAgTi) regarding their mechanical properties for the use as bioabsorbable implants. Compared to pure zinc the mechanical strength was enhanced significantly for all tested zinc alloys. The elastic properties were only enhanced significantly for the zinc silver alloys ZnAg6 and ZnAg9. Regarding target values for orthopedic implants proposed in literature, the best mechanical properties were measured for the ZnAg3Ti1 alloy with an ultimate tensile strength of 262 MPa and an elongation at fracture of 16%. Besides the mechanical properties, the corrosion rates are important for bioabsorbable implants. This study tested the corrosion rates of zinc alloys in PBS solution (phosphate buffered solution) with electrochemical corrosion measurement. Zinc and its alloys showed favorable corrosion rates, especially in comparison to magnesium, which has a much lower degradation rate and no buildup of hydrogen gas pockets during the process. Altogether, this makes zinc alloys highly favorable for use as material for bioabsorbable implants for osteosynthesis.

Revealing the Microstructural Aspects of the Corrosion Dynamics in Rapidly Solidified Mg-Zn-Y Alloys Using the Acoustic Emission Technique

This work was focused on revealing the relation between the microstructure and corrosion dynamics in dilute Mg_97.94Zn_0.56Y_1.5 (at.%) alloys prepared by the consolidation of rapidly solidified (RS) ribbons. The dynamics of the corrosion were followed by common electrochemical methods and the acoustic emission (AE) technique. AE monitoring offers instantaneous feedback on changes in the dynamics and mode of the corrosion. In contrast, the electrochemical measurements were performed on the specimens, which had already been immersed in the solution for a pre-defined time. Thus, some short-term corrosion processes could remain undiscovered. Obtained results were completed by scanning electron microscopy, including analysis of a cross-section of the corrosion layer. It was shown that the internal strain distribution, the grain morphology, and the distribution of the secondary phases play a significant role in the corrosion. The alloys are characterized by a complex microstructure with elongated worked and dynamically recrystallized α-Mg grains with an average grain size of 900 nm. Moreover, the Zn- and Y-rich stacking faults (SFs) were dispersed in the grain interior. In the alloy consolidated at a lower extrusion speed, the homogeneous internal strain distribution led to uniform corrosion with a rate of 2 mm/year and a low hydrogen release. The consolidation at a higher extrusion speed resulted in the formation of uneven distribution of internal strains with remaining high strain levels in non-recrystallized grains, leading to inhomogeneous growth and breakdown of the corrosion layers. Therefore, homogeneity of the internal strain distribution is of key importance for the uniform formation of a protective layer.

Osteoinduction Evaluation of Fluorinated Hydroxyapatite and Tantalum Composite Coatings on Magnesium Alloys

Magnesium (Mg) alloys have a wide range of biomaterial applications, but their lack of biocompatibility and osteoinduction property impedes osteointegration. In order to enhance the bioactivity of Mg alloy, a composite coating of fluorinated hydroxyapatite (FHA) and tantalum (Ta) was first developed on the surface of the alloy through thermal synthesis and magnetron sputtering technologies in this study. The samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) mapping, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and water contact angle measurement (WCA), which characterized the surface alternation and confirmed the deposition of the target FHA/Ta coating. The results of cell morphology showed that the MC3T3-E1 cells on the surface of Mg/FHA/Ta samples had the largest spreading area and lamellipodia. Moreover, the FHA coating endowed the surface with superior cell viability and osteogenic properties, while Ta coating played a more important role in osteogenic differentiation. Therefore, the combination of FHA and Ta coatings could synergistically promote biological functions, thus providing a novel strategy for implant design.

Corrosion Behavior, Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Novel Mg-Zn-Ca-Er Alloy for Bio-Medical Applications

In this study, the effect of calcium (Ca) and erbium (Er) on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and corrosion behavior of magnesium-zinc alloys is reported. The alloys were prepared using disintegrated melt deposition (DMD) technique using the alloying additions as Zn, Ca, and Mg-Er master alloys and followed by hot extrusion. Results show that alloying addition of Er has significantly reduced the grain sizes of Mg-Zn alloys and also when compared to pure magnesium base material. It also has substantially enhanced both the tensile and the compressive properties by favoring the formation of MgZn2 type secondary phases that are uniformly distributed during hot-extrusion. The quaternary Mg-Zn-Ca-Er alloy exhibited the highest strength due to lower grain size and particle strengthening due to the influence of the rare earth addition Er. The observed elongation was a result of extensive twinning observed in the alloys. Also, the degradation rates have been substantially reduced as a result of alloying additions and it is attributed to the barrier effect caused by the secondary phases.

Analysis of the In Situ Crack Evolution Behavior in a Solid Solution Mg-13Gd-5Y-3Zn-0.3Zr Alloy

The low plasticity of high strength Mg-Gd-Y alloy has become the main obstacle to its application in engineering. In this paper, the origin, propagation and fracture processes of cracks of a solution of treated Mg-13Gd-5Y-3Zn-0.3Zr alloy were observed and studied with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in an in situ tensile test to provide theoretical references for the development of a new high-performance Mg-Gd-Y alloy. The results showed that there was still some bulk long period stacking order (LPSO) phase remaining in solid solution Mg-13Gd-5Y-3Zn-0.3Zr alloy. Most importantly, it was found that the locations of micro-cracks vary with the different solution treatment processes, mainly including the following three types. (1) At 480 × 10 h and 510 °C × 10 h, much bulk LPSO phase with higher elastic modulus remains in the alloy, which can lead to micro-cracks in the LPSO phase due to stress concentration. (2) At 510 °C × 13 h and 510 °C × 16 h, the phase structure of bulk LPSO changes, and the stress concentration easily appears at the LPSO/α-Mg interface, which leads to micro-cracks at the interface. (3) At 510 °C × 19 h and 510 °C × 22 h, the grain size increases, and the stress concentration is obvious at the grain boundary of coarse grains, which leads to the formation of micro-cracks.

Effects of Repetitive Upsetting Extrusion on the Microstructure and Texture of GWZK124 Alloy under Different Starting Temperatures

The effects of repetitive upsetting extrusion under different starting temperatures on the microstructure and texture of GWZK124 alloy were investigated. The results clearly showed that the particles and second phases induced dynamic recrystallization (DRX), which can be explained by the particle-stimulated nucleation (PSN) mechanism. It was shown that grain refinement during repetitive upsetting extrusion (RUE) is dominated by a complicated combination of continuous dynamic recrystallization and discontinuous dynamic recrystallization. The RUEed alloys under different starting temperatures exhibited a bimodal microstructure comprising fine DRXed grains with weak texture and coarse deformed grains with strong texture. The DRXed grains could weaken the texture. As the RUE starting temperature decreased, the average grain size increased and the volume fraction of DRXed grains decreased.

Development of Hot-Extruded Mg-RE-Zn Alloy Bar with High Mechanical Properties

A new elevated-temperature high-strength Mg-4Er-2Y-3Zn-0.4Mn (wt %) alloy was developed by semi-continuous casting, solid solution treatment, and hot extrusion. W phase (Mg3(Er,Y)2Zn3) with fcc structure, long period stacking ordered phases with 18R (Mg10(Er,Y)1Zn1) and 14H (Mg12(Er,Y)1Zn1) structures, and basal plane stacking faults (SFs) was formed in the as-cast alloy, mainly due to the alloy component of (Er + Y)/Zn = 1:1 and Er/Y = 1:1 (at %). After solid solution treatment and hot extrusion, the novel microstructure feature formed in as-extruded alloy is the high number-density nanospaced basal plane SFs throughout all the dynamically recrystallized (DRXed) and un-DRXed grains, which has not been previously reported. The as-extruded alloy exhibits superior tensile properties from room temperature to 300 °C. The tensile yield strength can be maintained above 250 MPa at 300 °C. The excellent elevated-temperature strength is mainly ascribed to the formation of nanospaced basal plane SFs throughout the whole Mg matrix, fine DRXed grains ~2 μm in size, and strongly basal-textured un-DRXed grains with profuse substructures. The results provide new opportunities for the development of deformed Mg alloys with satisfactory mechanical properties for high-temperature services.

Bio-Functional Design, Application and Trends in Metallic Biomaterials

Introduction of metals as biomaterials has been known for a long time. In the early development, sufficient strength and suitable mechanical properties were the main considerations for metal implants. With the development of new generations of biomaterials, the concepts of bioactive and biodegradable materials were proposed. Biological function design is very import for metal implants in biomedical applications. Three crucial design criteria are summarized for developing metal implants: (1) mechanical properties that mimic the host tissues; (2) sufficient bioactivities to form bio-bonding between implants and surrounding tissues; and (3) a degradation rate that matches tissue regeneration and biodegradability. This article reviews the development of metal implants and their applications in biomedical engineering. Development trends and future perspectives of metallic biomaterials are also discussed.

Enhanced cell attachment and hemocompatibility of titanium by nanoscale surface modification through severe plastic integration of magnesium-rich islands and porosification

Besides the wide applications of titanium and its alloys for orthopedic and biomedical implants, the biocompatible nature of titanium has emerged various surface modification techniques to enhance its bioactivity and osteointegration with living tissues. In this work, we present a new procedure for nanoscale surface modification of titanium implants by integration of magnesium-rich islands combined with controlled formation of pores and refinement of the surface grain structure. Through severe plastic deformation of the titanium surface with fine magnesium hydride powder, Mg-rich islands with varying sizes ranging from 100 nm to 1000 nm can be integrated inside a thin surface layer (100-500 µm) of the implant. Selective etching of the surface forms a fine structure of surface pores which their average size varies in the range of 200-500 nm depending on the processing condition. In vitro biocompatibility and hemocompatibility assays show that the Mg-rich islands and the induced surface pores significantly enhance cell attachment and biocompatibility without an adverse effect on the cell viability. Therefore, severe plastic integration of Mg-rich islands on titanium surface accompanying with porosification is a new and promising procedure with high potential for nanoscale modification of biomedical implants.

Metallic Biomaterials: Current Challenges and Opportunities

Metallic biomaterials are engineered systems designed to provide internal support to biological tissues and they are being used largely in joint replacements, dental implants, orthopaedic fixations and stents. Higher biomaterial usage is associated with an increased incidence of implant-related complications due to poor implant integration, inflammation, mechanical instability, necrosis and infections, and associated prolonged patient care, pain and loss of function. In this review, we will briefly explore major representatives of metallic biomaterials along with the key existing and emerging strategies for surface and bulk modification used to improve biointegration, mechanical strength and flexibility of biometals, and discuss their compatibility with the concept of 3D printing.

Ageing behavior of extruded Mg-8.2Gd-3.8Y-1.0Zn-0.4Zr (wt.%) alloy containing LPSO phase and γ' precipitates

The effect of long period stacking ordered (LPSO) phase and γ′ precipitates on the ageing behavior and mechanical properties of the extruded Mg–8.2Gd–3.8Y–1.0Zn–0.4Zr (wt.%) alloy was investigated. The results show that more β′ phases precipitate during ageing treatment in the LPSO phase containing alloy so that the LPSO phase containing alloy exhibits a higher age-hardening response than the γ′ precipitates containing alloy. The precipitation strengthening induced by β′ precipitates is the greatest contributor to the strength of the peak-aged LPSO-containing alloys. Higher strength is achieved in γ′ precipitates containing alloy due to the more effective strengthening induced by dense nanoscale γ′ precipitates than LPSO phases as well as the higher volume fraction of coarse unrecrystallized grains with strong basal texture. The extruded alloy containing γ′ precipitates after T5 peak-ageing treatment shows ultra-high tensile yield strength of 462 MPa, high ultimate tensile strength of 520 MPa, and superior elongation to failure of 10.6%.

Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing of AZ31 Magnesium Alloy: Grain Refinement by Adjusting Pulse Frequency

Wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) offers a potential approach to fabricate large-scale magnesium alloy components with low cost and high efficiency, although this topic is yet to be reported in literature. In this study, WAAM is preliminarily applied to fabricate AZ31 magnesium. Fully dense AZ31 magnesium alloy components are successfully obtained. Meanwhile, to refine grains and obtain good mechanical properties, the effects of pulse frequency (1, 2, 5, 10, 100, and 500 Hz) on the macrostructure, microstructure and tensile properties are investigated. The results indicate that pulse frequency can result in the change of weld pool oscillations and cooling rate. This further leads to the change of the grain size, grain shape, as well as the tensile properties. Meanwhile, due to the resonance of the weld pool at 5 Hz and 10 Hz, the samples have poor geometry accuracy but contain finer equiaxed grains (21 μm) and exhibit higher ultimate tensile strength (260 MPa) and yield strength (102 MPa), which are similar to those of the forged AZ31 alloy. Moreover, the elongation of all samples is above 23%.

Mechanical properties, in vitro corrosion and biocompatibility of newly developed biodegradable Mg-Zr-Sr-Ho alloys for biomedical applications

Our previous studies have demonstrated that Mg-Zr-Sr alloys can be anticipated as excellent biodegradable implant materials for load-bearing applications. In general, rare earth elements (REEs) are widely used in magnesium (Mg) alloys with the aim of enhancing the mechanical properties of Mg-based alloys. In this study, the REE holmium (Ho) was added to an Mg-1Zr-2Sr alloy at different concentrations of Mg1Zr2SrxHo alloys (x = 0, 1, 3, 5 wt. %) and the microstructure, mechanical properties, degradation behaviour and biocompatibility of the alloys were systematically investigated. The results indicate that the addition of Ho to Mg1Zr2Sr led to the formation of the intermetallic phases MgHo3, Mg2Ho and Mg17Sr2 which resulted in enhanced mechanical strength and decreased degradation rates of the Mg-Zr-Sr-Ho alloys. Furthermore, Ho addition (≤5 wt. %) to Mg-Zr-Sr alloys led to enhancement of cell adhesion and proliferation of osteoblast cells on the Mg-Zr-Sr-Ho alloys. The in vitro biodegradation and the biocompatibility of the Mg-Zr-Sr-Ho alloys were both influenced by the Ho concentration in the Mg alloys; Mg1Zr2Sr3Ho exhibited lower degradation rates than Mg1Zr2Sr and displayed the best biocompatibility compared with the other alloys.