Yuanding Huang

Magnesium alloys as implant materials--principles of property design for Mg-RE alloys.

Magnesium alloys have attracted increasing interest in the past years due to their potential as implant materials. This interest is based on the fact that magnesium and its alloys are degradable during their time of service in the human body. Moreover magnesium alloys offer a property profile that is very close or even similar to that of human bone. The chemical composition triggers the resulting microstructure and features of degradation. In addition, the entire manufacturing route has an influence on the morphology of the microstructure after processing. Therefore the composition and the manufacturing route have to be chosen carefully with regard to the requirements of an application. This paper discusses the influence of composition and heat treatments on the microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion behaviour of cast Mg-Gd alloys. Recommendations are given for the design of future degradable magnesium based implant materials.

Preparation and properties of high purity Mg-Y biomaterials.

An effective zone solidification method has been found to prepare high purity Mg-Y biomaterials. The corrosion and mechanical properties of the purified middle region are improved remarkably compared with common casting method. The average gain size and secondary dendrite space decrease from the top layer to the bottom layer of the ingot. The oxides, defects and precipitates are mainly enriched in the top layer of the ingot under the impulsion of high thermal gradient. These results are in agreement with that simulated by finite elemental method using FLOW-3D software. It is confirmed that the mode of scallop symmetric solidification attributes to the purifying process. This zone solidification method not only contributes to high purity Mg-based biomaterials, but also provides a new approach to prepare high performance Mg alloys.

Element distribution in the corrosion layer and cytotoxicity of alloy Mg–10Dy during in vitro biodegradation

The present work investigates the corrosion behaviour, the element distribution in the corrosion layer and the cytocompatibility of alloy Mg-10Dy. The corrosion experiments were performed in a cell culture medium (CCM) under cell culture conditions close to the in vivo environment. The element distribution on the surface as well as in cross-sections of the corrosion layer was investigated using scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The cytocompatibility of alloy Mg-10Dy with primary human osteoblasts was evaluated by MTT, cell adhesion and live/dead staining tests. The results show that the corrosion layer was enriched in Dy, while the P and Ca content gradually decreased from the surface to the bottom of the corrosion layer. In addition, large amounts of MgCO3·3H2O formed in the corrosion layer after 28 days immersion. Both extracts and the Dy-enriched corrosion layer of alloy Mg-10Dy showed no cytotoxicity to primary human osteoblasts.

Microstructure and corrosion behavior of Mg-Sn-Ca alloys after extrusion

Abstract Mg-Sn-Ca alloys promise a reasonable corrosion resistance in combination with good creep resistance, likely due to the presence of Ca 2− x Mg x Sn and other phases. The selected alloys with 3% Sn and Ca in the range of 1%–2% have been extruded in order to achieve more homogeneous microstructure compared with the as-cast alloys. Optical microscopy(OM) and X-ray diffraction(XRD) techniques were used to study the microstructure and phases of these alloys. The corrosion behavior of these alloys was investigated by means of salt spray test and potentio-dynamic measurements. The results obtained on the alloys Mg-3Sn (T3), Mg-3Sn-1Ca (TX31), and Mg-3Sn-2Ca (TX32) indicate the presence of the same phases in as-cast and after extrusion, namely Mg 2 Sn, Ca 2− x Mg x Sn, and Ca 2− x Mg x Sn/Mg 2 Ca, respectively. However, due to the occurrence of extensive recrystallization in the extrusion process, the grain size has significantly reduced after extrusion. The reduction leads to the improvement of the corrosion resistance after extrusion which is then comparable with the commercial alloy AZ91D.

Microstructure, mechanical and corrosion properties of Mg-Dy-Gd-Zr alloys for medical applications.

In previous investigations, a Mg-10Dy (wt.%) alloy with a good combination of corrosion resistance and cytocompatibility showed great potential for use as a biodegradable implant material. However, the mechanical properties of Mg-10Dy alloy are not satisfactory. In order to allow the tailoring of mechanical properties required for various medical applications, four Mg-10(Dy+Gd)-0.2Zr (wt.%) alloys were investigated with respect to microstructure, mechanical and corrosion properties. With the increase in Gd content, the number of second-phase particles increased in the as-cast alloys, and the age-hardening response increased at 200°C. The yield strength increased, while the ductility reduced, especially for peak-aged alloys with the addition of Gd. Additionally, with increasing Gd content, the corrosion rate increased in the as-cast condition owing to the galvanic effect, but all the alloys had a similar corrosion rate (~0.5 mm year(-1)) in solution-treated and aged condition.

Influence of ageing treatment on microstructure, mechanical and bio-corrosion properties of Mg-Dy alloys.

Mg-Dy alloys have shown to be promising for medical applications. In order to investigate the influence of ageing treatment on their mechanical and corrosion properties, three Mg-xDy alloys (x=10, 15, 20 wt%) were prepared. Their microstructure, mechanical and corrosion behavior were investigated. The results indicate that ageing at 250 °C has little influence on the mechanical and corrosion properties. In contrast, ageing at 200 °C significantly increases the yield strength, and reduces the ductility. After ageing at 200 °C, the corrosion rate of Mg-20Dy alloy increases largely in 0.9 wt% NaCl solution, but remains unchanged in cell culture medium.

An in vivo study on the metabolism and osteogenic activity of bioabsorbable Mg–1Sr alloy

UNLABELLED Previous studies indicated that local delivery of strontium effectively increased bone quality and formation around osseointegrating implants. Therefore, implant materials with long-lasting and controllable strontium release are avidly pursued. The central objective of the present study was to investigate the in vivo biocompatibility, metabolism and osteogenic activity of the bioabsorbable Mg-1Sr (wt.%, nominal composition) alloy for bone regeneration. The general corrosion rate of the alloy implant as a femoral fracture fixation device was 0.55±0.03mm·y(-1) (mean value±standard deviation) in New Zealand White rabbits which meet the bone implantation requirements and can be adjusted by material processing methods. All rabbits survived and the histological evaluation showed no abnormal physiology or diseases 16 weeks post-implantation. The degradation process of the alloy did not significantly alter 16 primary indexes of hematology, cardiac damage, inflammation, hepatic functions and metabolic process. Significant increases in peri-implant bone volume and direct bone-to-implant contact (48.3%±15.3% and 15.9%±5.6%, respectively) as well as the expressions of four osteogenesis related genes (runt-related transcription factor 2, alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, and collagen, type I, alpha 1) were observed after 16 weeks implantation for the Mg-1Sr group when compared to the pure Mg group. The sound osteogenic properties of the Mg-1Sr alloy by long-lasting and controllable Sr release suggesting a very attractive clinical potential. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Sr (strontium) has exhibited pronounced effects to reduce the bone fracture risk in osteoporotic patients. Nonetheless, long-lasting local Sr release is hardly achieved by traditional methods like surface treatment. Therefore, a more efficient Sr local delivery platform is in high clinical demand. The stable and adjustable degradation process of Mg alloy makes it an ideal Sr delivery platform. We combine the well-known osteogenic properties of strontium with magnesium to manufacture bioabsorbable Mg-1Sr alloy with stable Sr release based on our previous studies. The in vitro and in vivo results both showed the alloys suitable degradation rate and biocompatibility, and the sound osteogenic properties and stimulation effect on bone formation suggest its very attractive clinical potential.

Influence of composition on hot tearing in binary Mg–Zn alloys

Abstract Mg–Zn alloys have a large freezing zone, and their susceptibility to hot tearing is high. Investigations on their hot tearing are necessary for both materials science and practical applications. The present work evaluates the susceptibility of hot tearing of Mg–Zn alloy using Clyne and Davies’s modelling combined with thermodynamic calculations. In order to compare with the calculated results, the susceptibility of hot tearing was measured using previously developed quantitative experimental method. It is found that the simulation results are in agreement with the experimental results. Both of them show that the curves of the susceptibility of hot tearing versus the content of Zn has a typical ‘Λ’ shape. With increasing content of Zn, the susceptibility of hot tearing first increases, reaches the maximum at 2–4%Zn and then decreases again. Experimental investigations also demonstrate that the hot tearing susceptibility decreases with increasing initial mould temperature.

Hot tearing behaviour of binary Mg–1Al alloy using a contraction force measuring method

Abstract Hot tearing (or hot cracking) is recognised in the foundry industry as a serious defect. Although it has been investigated for decades, understanding still stands at a qualitative level. In this work, investigations on hot tearing in the binary Mg–1Al (wt-%) alloy have been conducted, using a contraction stress measuring method which shows evidence of good repeatability. The results show that increasing mould temperature decreases hot tearing susceptibility for Mg–1Al due to a decreased cooling rate. The recorded contraction force curves also show that hot cracks initiate under all investigated mould temperatures; however, the crack propagation behaves differently. At lower mould temperatures, the crack propagates very fast, while at higher mould temperatures it propagates slowly. This indicates that a lower cooling rate allows a better chance for the retained liquid to refill the crack. Consequently this leads to partial or complete interruption of crack propagation.

Investigations on Hot Tearing of Mg‐Zn‐(Al) Alloys

Mg-Zn alloys are widely used as wrought alloys such as ZM, ZK and ZE series. They are reportedly to be prone to hot tearing due to the presence of Zn. The present work first evaluates the hot tearing susceptibility (HTS) of binary Mg-Zn alloys using quantitative experimental methods and thermodynamic simulations based on Clyne’s model, and then further investigate the addition of aluminum on the HTS in the ternary alloys Mg-Zn-Al. The results show that the curve of the HTS vs. the content of Zn has a typical “λ” shape. With increasing the content of Zn, the HTS increases firstly, reaches the maximum at 1.5% Zn and then decreases again. The addition of Al in Mg-Zn alloys influences the HTS. In the Mg-Zn-Al ternary system, the HTS decreases with the increase of Al content. The curve of the HTS as a function of Zn content in the ternary Mg-Zn-Al system is a little different from that observed in the binary Mg-Zn alloys. Two peaks are obtained: one is approximately at 1.0 to 1.5 wt.% Zn, another at 3.0wt.%Zn.