Enhanced Mechanical Properties and Corrosion Behavior of Biodegradable Mg-Zn/HA Composite

Abstract

Magnesium (Mg) and its alloys have shown potential for use in the biomedical industry due to their excellent biological performance and biodegradability in the bioenvironment. Thus, the aim of the present study was to develop a reliable biodegradable hard tissue substituent. Biodegradable and bioactive Mg-Zinc (Zn) reinforced by hydroxyapatite (HA) composite was prepared using mechanically alloyed Mg-6.5 wt pct Zn and pure HA powders as starting materials. Various HA contents (i.e., 5, 10, 15, and 20 wt pct) were introduced in forming the Mg-Zn/HA composite. The effect of bioactive HA incorporation in biodegradable Mg-6.5 wt pct Zn alloy matrix on mechanical and biodegradation properties as well as microstructural observation was investigated. As measured by the Williamson–Hall formula, the Mg crystallite size of the sintered composites containing 5, 10, 15, and 20 wt pct HA were 36.76, 29.08, 27.93, and 27.31 nm, respectively. According to X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, there was no new crystalline phase formed during milling, indicating that no mechanochemical reactions between Mg-Zn alloy and HA occurred. The −1.70 V shifted significantly toward the passive position of the plain Mg-6.5 wt pct Zn alloy and Mg-Zn/10 wt pct HA composite, which were −1.50 and −1.46 V, respectively, indicating that the Mg-Zn/10 wt pct HA composite was least susceptible to corrosion in the bioenvironment.