Preparation and Basic Characterization of Novel Zinc-based Alloys for Intracorporeal Implants

Zinc is considered to be a suitable element for the preparation of bioresorbable materials that can gradually degrade in the human body without the production of toxic compounds and undesirable hydrogen gas. Zn is characterized by a much lower corrosion rate in saline compared to magnesium-zinc and its alloys. Therefore, in this work we investigate Zn-0.4Mg-0.4Ca-xMn alloys with 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 0.8 and 1.1 wt. % Mn. The elements Mg, Ca and Mn were selected to improve the mechanical properties and biocompatibility of pure Zn. The microstructure of the alloys was studied by optical light microscope and SEM equipped with EDX analyzer. The mechanical properties were studied by measuring the microhardness using Vickers method. The results of the experimental part of this work show a trend of improvement in the mechanical properties of the alloys with increasing Mn content. The immersion tests were carried out in Hank's solution and after 6 months the material retained its shape integrity.