Mg and Cu Addition Effect on the As-Cast Hypoperitectic Zn-Ag-Based Bioabsorbable Alloy

Due to fractures in young and mature people, combined with aging and other factors increasing year by year, there is a demand for new materials to efficiently address fracture-healing-related issues. There are designs of new biodegradable Zn-based alloys whose chemical composition provides new opportunities to manufacture medical devices for supporting and assisting bones in their healing processes. To achieve this goal, it is well known that a strength–ductility balance and appropriate degradation are required. In this context, it is vital to know and understand how the addition of elements modifies the as-cast microstructure, which is the basis of further processing steps such as heat treatment and thermomechanical processing. In the present work, a broad characterization was performed of two as-cast hypoperitectic Zn-Ag-based alloys with Mg and Cu additions. First, cooling curves were presented, and a dissertation regarding the temperature appearance of their secondary phases was made. Also, XRD and SEM-EDS techniques were performed, and their mechanical and corrosion performance was analyzed to elucidate which third element is the best option for intended orthopedic applications.