Influence of graphene oxide (GO) on microstructure and biodegradation of ZK30-xGO composites prepared by selective laser melting

Abstract

Different graphene oxide (GO) contents were chosen as the addition to prepare ZK30-xGO composites by selective laser melting (SLM). The microstructure and biodegradation of the SLMed ZK30-xGO composites were investigated. The results indicated that (i) SLM effectively produced a small grain size, (ii) the incorporation of GO into ZK30 caused a further decrease in grain size, and (iii) GO has a strong effect on the formation of the MgZn2 precipitates. The SLMed ZK30-0.6GO had the lowest biodegradation rate, which is attributed to the fact that the effect of the increased grain refinement and decreased amount of the MgZn2 precipitates counteracted the effect of the increased GO content on the biodegradation rate. Furthermore, the SLMed ZK30-xGO composites had good cytocompatibility. This work provided a novel approach to the composition design and fabrication of novel biodegradable GO reinforced Mg-based biomedical implants.

Keywords

• Mg alloy
• ZK30-xGO composite
• Selective laser melting (SLM)
• Biodegradation
• Cytocompatibility