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Ultrafine Cellular Eutectic Biodegradable Zn-Ge Alloys Fabricated by Laser Powder Bed Fusion: Process Manipulation
Chengde Gao1, Shuaishuai Zhu1, Xiong Yao1
1State Key Laboratory of Precision Manufacturing for Extreme Service Performance, College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|August 11, 2025
Summary
Laser powder bed fusion enhanced biodegradable zinc-germanium alloys. Optimized processing yielded >99.5% density and ultrafine structures, significantly improving mechanical strength for bone implants.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biomaterials Engineering
- Additive Manufacturing
Background:
- Zinc (Zn) is a promising biodegradable metal for bone implants due to its biocompatibility and biodegradability.
- Poor mechanical properties of Zn limit its application as a bone implant material.
- Enhancing mechanical strength is crucial for the clinical translation of biodegradable Zn alloys.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate biodegradable Zn-Ge eutectic alloys using laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) for mechanical reinforcement.
- To investigate the effects of LPBF processing parameters on alloy density and microstructure.
- To evaluate the mechanical properties, cytocompatibility, and degradation behavior of the fabricated alloys.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of Zn-Ge alloys using the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing technique.
- Optimization of volumetric energy density through orthogonal tests to achieve high relative density.
- Microstructural characterization, mechanical testing (yield strength, ultimate tensile strength), and degradation rate analysis.
Main Results:
- Achieved optimal relative density >99.5% with optimized LPBF parameters.
- Developed a distinctive ultrafine cellular structure (∼1.2 μm) with refined Zn-Ge eutectic phases.
- Zn-3Ge alloy exhibited significantly improved yield strength (156.81 MPa) and ultimate tensile strength (178.61 MPa) due to refined eutectic structure and semicoherent interfaces.
- Demonstrated good cytocompatibility and appropriate degradation rates (0.265 mm/y for Zn-3Ge).
Conclusions:
- LPBF processing effectively enhances the mechanical properties of biodegradable Zn-Ge alloys.
- The ultrafine cellular eutectic structure is key to improving the mechanical reinforcement of Zn alloys.
- LPBF-fabricated Zn-Ge alloys show potential for application as biodegradable bone implants.
