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Comprehensive Study on the Age-Strengthened Mg-Zn-Mn-Ca/ZnO Composites for Fracture Fixation: Microstructure,
Vivek Verma1, Swati Singh2, Kaushik Pal1,2
1Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, Uttarakhand 247667, India.
Abstract:
The present work investigates the use of age-strengthened Mg-Zn-Mn-Ca/xZnO as resorbable materials in temporary orthopedic implants. Quaternary Mg-Zn-Mn-Ca alloy, reinforced with zinc oxide particles, was stir-cast, followed by solution treatment and a range of aging treatments. Optical and electron microscopy, mechanical, electrochemical, immersion, and dynamic mechanical testing, with biocompatibility assessment were carried out. The observed 2θ shift in the (101) peaks of ZMX611/ZnO-ST and ZMX611/ZnO-H indicated lattice shrinkage. The formation of Mg7Zn3 and Ca2Mg6Zn3 in the grain boundary compositions was observed. ZMX611/ZnO-ST had a smaller β-phase fraction, indicating a finer microstructure. ZMX611/ZnO-H had the highest tensile yield strength (102.97 ± 3.92 MPa), and ZMX611/ZnO-ST showed the highest ultimate tensile strength (127.21 ± 7.48 MPa), indicating precipitation hardening of Zn enrichment. The uniformly dispersed secondary phases played a dual role in corrosion behavior. ZMX611/ZnO-ST showed a better cytocompatibility response among all samples. Composite materials exhibited satisfactory biocompatibility and mechanical compatibility as indicated by in silico results of deviatoric strain-based mechanical stimuli at the fracture interface.
