Severe Plastically Deformed Mg–Zn–Zr–RE Alloy Developed as a Biomaterial

Mg alloysMagnesium alloys (Mg alloys) have high corrosion rateCorrosion Rate that inhibits their application as biomaterialBiomaterials. For safe use as biomaterial, it is essential to control their corrosion ratesCorrosion Rate. In Mg alloys, microgalvanicMicro-galvanic corrosion coupling between the α-Mg matrix and secondary precipitates can exist which results in increased corrosion rate. To address this challenge, we engineered the microstructureMicrostructure of a biodegradable Mg–Zn–RE–Zr alloy by severe plastic deformationPlastic deformation process such as friction stir processingFriction Stir Processing (FSP) (FSP), improving its corrosion resistance and mechanical propertiesMechanical Properties simultaneously. Subjecting the alloy to FSP resulted in refined grains, basal textureTexture and broken and uniformly distributed secondary precipitates. In vitro corrosion of base material showed microgalvanic coupling between precipitate and matrix, resulting in unstable surface layer. The processed alloy showed uniform corrosion owing to formation of stable surface film formation, due to the refined grains, texture, and distribution of precipitates. The results show promising potential of Mg alloyMagnesium alloys (Mg alloys) as biomaterialBiomaterials.