Microstructures and various properties of hot-extruded Mg-Zr-Ca alloys for biomedical applications

The microstructures, mechanical properties, corrosion behavior, and biocompatibility of hot-extruded Mg-Zr-Ca alloys have been investigated for potential use in orthopedic applications. The microstructures of the alloys are examined by X-ray diffraction analysis and optical microscopy. The mechanical properties of Mg-Zr-Ca alloys are determined from compressive tests, the corrosion behavior is studied using immersion tests, and biocompatibility is evaluated by cell growth factor using osteoblast-like SaOS2 cell. The experimental results indicate that the hot-extruded alloys have much higher compressive strength than the as-cast alloys and the human bone, and can offer good mechanical properties for orthopedic applications. The hot-extrusion significantly enhances corrosion resistance of the alloys. Among the alloys, the hot-extruded Mg-0.5Zr-1Ca and Mg-1Zr-1Ca alloys possess good combination of mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility, suggesting that they have a great potential to be good candidates for orthopedic applications