Zinc-based alloys show promise for biodegradable implants with balanced strength, corrosion rate, and biocompatibility, needing further optimization.
Authors
Lokesh Kumar Meena, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Malaviya National Institute of Technology Jaipur, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302017, India
Arvind Kumar Singh, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Malaviya National Institute of Technology Jaipur, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302017, India
Anup Malik, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Malaviya National Institute of Technology Jaipur, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302017, India
Nidhi Bisla, Assistant Professor, Jindal Global Business School, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, India; Centre for Applied Research in Electronics, IIT Delhi, Delhi, India
Summary
Zinc is an acceptable biomedical implant in biodegradable metals with moderate degradation properties compared to iron (Fe) and magnesium (Mg). Recent studies show the need to optimize mechanical strength and biocompatibility. This review paper discusses the mechanical properties, biodegradability, and biocompatibility of pure zinc and zinc-based alloys fabricated by different techniques. Pure zinc exhibits deficient mechanical strength, which needs to be improved.
This review paper talks about the effects of various alloying methods such as powder metallurgy, additive manufacturing, casting, and post-thermomechanical processes like extrusion and rolling on microstructure, grain size, tensile strength, ductility (elongation to failure), compressive strength, and hardness. For each fabrication technique, various alloys are considered for detailed analysis. Further, this review paper discusses in vitro and in vivo biocorrosion and biocompatibility analyses. The zinc-based biodegradable alloys show intermediate corrosion potential that’s why they degrade slowly compared to Mg and faster than Fe. This moderate corrosion rate makes them a more suitable metallic implant material among degradable metals. Zn²⁺ release is controlled by biological processes during breakdown. Excessive Zn²⁺ release can be a problem in the case of zinc-based biodegradable alloys. However, in the case of zinc-based biodegradable alloys, there is no harmful hydrogen gas evolution.
In the last, we concluded the effects of processing techniques and alloying elements of zinc-based biodegradable alloys. To encourage the further investigation of zinc alloys as potential materials for biodegradable implants, this detailed assessment of zinc’s characteristics addresses both the mechanical and biological performance of the metal. This review paper will better explain research gaps and future scope for further improvements in zinc-based biodegradable alloy systems.
Published in: Journal of Alloys and Compounds Communications
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