Heat Treatment Influence on the Cavitational Erosion Zn-Mg Behavior Used for Biomedical Applications

Abstract

Recent research in the medical field of temporary implants refers to the development of new biodegradable alloys, which are simultaneously subject to aggressive conditions of pressure fluctuations exerted in blood vessels. Both zinc and magnesium are biocompatible metallic materials, but also biodegradable. The present work approaches a new alloy from the Zn-Mg system, elaborated within the Polytechnic University of Bucharest, on which cavitational erosion tests were performed. It was followed the effect of applying the homogenization heat treatments of cast alloy, at different temperatures and maintenance durations (300°C and 400°C, each with a maintenance of 5h and 10 h) on the behavior at the vibratory cavitation. Finally, the correlation between the parameters of the heat treatment – the structure – behavior at cavitational erosion compared to those of the untreated thermal alloy was determined.

Keywords

• zinc-magnezium alloy
• heat treatment
• microstructure
• cavitation erosion resistance
• depth and erosion rate