Consolidation of Zn-Hydroxyapatite and Zn-Bioactive Glass Composites Using High-Pressure Torsion

Abstract

There has been a great interest in developing zinc-based composites for biological applications. Mixing bioactive particles and obtaining a well-dispersed structure is not straight forward though. The present study reports a novel processing route in which zinc particles are mixed with hydroxyapatite and bioactive glass particles and consolidated at room temperature using high-pressure torsion. The composites display good dispersion of second phase particles, enhanced strength and an increased corrosion rate in the Hank’s balanced salt solution. The incorporation of these particles can be used to tailor the corrosion rate of zinc. It is shown that the surface layer of the corrosion product in the zinc-bioactive particle composites is richer in calcium and phosphorous than the pure zinc counterpart.

Keywords

• zinc matrix composites
• biodegradable metals
• high-pressure torsion