In- vitro corrosion behavior of the cast and extruded biodegradable Mg-Zn-Cu alloys in simulated body fluid (SBF)

In the present study, a new biodegradable Mg-Zn-Cu magnesium alloy was introduced for biological applications. The microstructural analysis showed the formation of MgZnCu intermetallics for the Mg-2Zn-0.1Cu alloy and also the Mg(Zn,Cu)2 compounds for the Mg-2 Zn alloys with higher Cu contents. Moreover, the hot extrusion was applied for the grain refinement and changing the distribution of intermetallics. In vitro immersion tests, electrochemical and corroded surface analyses represented the enhancement of corrosion resistance with 0.1 wt.% Cu addition. Furthermore, the extruded alloys demonstrated more corrosion resistance behavior than that of the cast alloys. By considering the improved tensile properties of Mg-2Zn-0.1Cu alloy, this alloy was regarded as the potential candidate for use as the biodegradable magnesium implant.