In vitro degradation behavior of as-cast Mg-3Zn-1Ca-0.5 Sr alloy

Recent advancements in bone implant materials have led to the development of various alloys. In this study, the degradation behavior of the as-cast Mg-3 wt% Zn-1 wt% Ca-0.5 wt% Sr alloy in vitro was investigated using x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy (SKPFM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Our results demonstrated that the alloy microstructure was composed of α-Mg, a Ca2Mg6Zn3 phase, and a Mg17Sr2 phase. The Ca2Mg6Zn3 phase, which had the smallest absolute potential, was shown to have cathodic protection, while the α-Mg, which had the largest absolute potential, was shown to prefer corrosion. The in vitro corrosion products of the as-cast alloy were Mg(OH)2, a Ca-P compound, and HA. At the beginning of the corrosion, the hydrogen evolution rate of the alloy was fast due to the thin corrosion product layer. With the extension of the corrosion time, the corrosion layer thickened and the hydrogen evolution rate slowed down and stabilized to 1.25 × 10−5 mol cm−2 · h . Due to the high concentration of Ca and Mg ions near the second phase, HA was quickly deposited and an ion exchange channel between the solution and the alloy was formed, making it easier for the Mg, Ca, and Sr ions to enter the solution and promote the formation of HA. The hysteresis effect of Sr element was found, that is, Sr ions were released into the solution after etching for a period of time, which promoted the formation of HA and HA-containing Sr (Sr/HA).