Influence of cations on the corrosion of biodegradable Mg alloys in Hanks’ solution

摘要

Biodegradable implants have gather increasing interest in modern times, due to their unique properties. Of these implants, Mg has gathered interest due to its favourable mechanical properties and highly corrosive nature. Extensive research has been undertaken to investigate the effects of pH and anions in the solution, however, little research has gone into investigating the influence of cations in the solution, especially in physiological conditions. This experiment hopes to explore the effects the Mg2+ and Ca 2+cation concentrations in the immersion fluid has on the corrosion rate of the Mg implant. The study performs this investigation by varying the cation concentration within Hanks’ solution to observe the corrosion rates and surface morphologies that occur, while maintain the solution at 37°C and a pH of 7.4. The literature concludes that decreasing the concentration of Mg2+ and Ca2+ cations increases the corrosion rate of the Mg.