Study on Fe-xGO Composites Prepared by Selective Laser Melting: Microstructure, Hardness, Biodegradation and Cytocompatibility

Abstract

The problem of the degradation rate being too slow is a key technical bottleneck to clinical applications for pure iron (Fe), a promising candidate biodegradable metal. This work used powders of pure Fe and graphene oxide (GO) to prepare Fe-xGO composites (x = 0.4 wt.%, 0.8 wt.%, 1.2 wt.%, and 1.6 wt.%) via selective laser melting (SLM), aiming to obtain a higher degradation rate. The microstructure, hardness, biodegradation and cytocompatibility were investigated. The degradation rate of the SLMed Fe-xGO composites was faster than that of SLMed Fe, due to incorporating GO into Fe. The GO content had a significant effect on the microstructure, hardness and degradation rate. The SLMed Fe-0.8 GO composite presented the finest, relatively uniform grains, had the maximum degradation rate, density and hardness, and had good cytocompatibility. The mechanisms were also clarified.