The microstructures and biocompatibility of a novel biomaterial Mg-4.0Zn-1.5Sr alloy sheet after aged treatment

The microstructures and biocompatibility of a novel biodegradable Mg-4.0Zn-1.5Sr (wt.%) alloy sheet after aged at 175 °C had been studied. The results indicated that a novel biodegradable alloy (i.e., Mg-4.0Zn-1.5Sr (wt.%) alloy) sheet was successfully produced using a series of metallurgical processing, including melting, casting, rolling and heat treatment. When the alloy sheets were aged at 175°Cfor 8 hours after rolling, their hardness and tensile strength reached to 75.6 HV and 268 MPa, respectively. The hemolysis rate of Mg-4.0Zn-1.5Sr (wt.%) alloy samples was 4.63% less than the critical value of 5%, which can meet the requirements for implant materials. As well as pH and magnesium ion concentration ([Mg2+], mmol/L) of the simulated body fluid (SBF) in which the alloy sheets were extracted was 9.55 and 72 mmol/L, respectively. The cytotoxicity results demonstrated that the alloy sheet showed acceptable cytocompatibility for medical applications. © 2013 American Scientific Publishers All rights reserved.