New biodegradable Mg–Zn–Ca bulk metallic glass composite with large plasticity reinforced by SnZn alloy

Abstract

Mg–Zn–Ca bulk metallic glass exhibits remarkable biocompatibility and biodegradability in human environments, making it a promising material for biodegradable implants. However, the material's brittleness at room temperature limits its applicability. To overcome this limitation, we introduced a non-toxic, highly plastic SnZn alloy as a second phase into Mg–Zn–Ca metallic glass. Our investigation focused on how varying SnZn alloy content affected the composites' microstructure and mechanical properties. The resulting composites exhibited a vein-like pattern, and the SnZn alloy contributed to their plasticity while Mg–Zn–Ca metallic glass provided strength. Our composite achieved a yield strength of 225 MPa with a 17% strain. Furthermore, when the SnZn alloy content exceeded 60%, the composites remained unbroken during compression testing. These results indicate that our Mg–Zn–Ca/SnZn bulk metallic glass composites exhibit excellent mechanical properties and hold promise as an implant material. This study provides a new direction for the development of biodegradable implant materials.