Corrosion resistance of a composite polymeric coating applied on biodegradable AZ31 magnesium alloy

The high corrosion rate of magnesium alloys is the main drawback to their widespread use, especially in biomedical applications. There is a need for developing new coatings that provide simultaneously corrosion resistance and enhanced biocompatibility. In this work, a composite coating containing polyether imide, with several diethylene triamine and hydroxyapatite contents, was applied on AZ31 magnesium alloys pre-treated with hydrofluoric acid by dip coating. The coated samples were immersed in Hank's solution and the coating performance was studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. In addition, the behavior of MG63 osteoblastic cells on coated samples was investigated. The results confirmed that the new coatings not only slow down the corrosion rate of AZ31 magnesium alloys in Hank's solution, but also enhance the adhesion and proliferation of MG63 osteoblastic cells, especially when hydroxyapatite nanoparticles were introduced in the coating formulation.