Metallurgical Engineering

Metallurgical Engineering

An Investigation of the Corrosion Characteristics of Zn-1Mg-xCu Biodegradable Alloy in Simulated Body Fluid

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Saeed Farahany 1
Elham Cheraghali 2
Shokoufeh Borhan 1
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Materials, Chemical and Polymer Engineering, Buein Zahra Technical University, Buein Zahra, Iran.
2 B.Sc., Department of Materials, Chemical and Polymer Engineering, Buein Zahra Technical University, Buein Zahra, Iran.
10.22076/me.2025.2037403.1413
Abstract
In this research, novel zinc-based alloys with a fixed composition of 1 wt% Mg and varying amounts of copper (Zn-1Mg-xCu) were fabricated through casting and subsequently evaluated for their corrosion properties and microstructural characteristics. Polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests were conducted in a specialized cell containing simulated body fluid, and corrosion current density (icorr) and corrosion potential (Ecorr) were calculated. Additionally, immersion tests in simulated body fluid were performed for durations of 24 and 168 hours, during which changes in sample weight and solution pH were measured. The results indicated that the corrosion current density increased with the addition of copper to the binary Zn-1Mg alloy. The highest corrosion current density, measuring 12.87 𝜇A/cm2, was observed in the Zn-1Mg-4Cu alloy. The corrosion potential did not exhibit a significant increase with the addition of copper across all compositions. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results demonstrated a decrease in corrosion resistance as the copper content increased. The Zn-1Mg-1Cu alloy exhibited the highest resistance. Higher copper content led to a larger volume fraction of Zn/Mg-Cu eutectic, decreasing the cathode-to-anode ratio and increasing corrosion. No discernible changes in sample weight or the pH of the simulated body fluid were observed after 24 hr. After 168 hours, the Zn-1Mg-4Cu alloy experienced a maximum weight loss of 103.9 mg and a pH increase to 7.8. The formation of galvanic couples between the zinc-rich dendritic matrix and the Zn/Mg-Cu eutectic phase is responsible for these changes in the corrosion properties of the ternary Zn-1Mg-xCu alloy.
Keywords
Zinc
Biodegradable
Corrosion
Polarization
Immersion
Simulated body fluid
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  • Receive Date 03 August 2024
  • Revise Date 21 January 2025
  • Accept Date 28 April 2025