The Effect of Zinc Composition on the Degradation Rate of Magnesium Alloy for Developing Biodegradable Stent

• Main Author: Zainal, Muhammad Ashraf
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI PETRONAS 2013
• Subjects: TP Chemical technology
• Online Access: http://utpedia.utp.edu.my/13817/1/Muhammad%20Ashraf_13205_Sep%202013.pdf; http://utpedia.utp.edu.my/13817/

In recent years, study on degradable biomaterials has become an essential part especially in terms of medication. A lot of studies were carried out since decades ago on the treatment of cardiovascular disease. The use of stent has been practices for the treatment of this disease. Metallic stent might be permanent or biodegradable metals. Biodegradable metals have break traditional thought that material for implant must be from inert metals. Inert metals have several disadvantages for long time application and it needs to be removed after vessel healing. Biodegradable stent is the solution for this problem. Stent implanted could maintain its mechanical integrity during wall vessels healing and dissolve after the healing process complete. Magnesium is suitable for biodegradable implant due to its mechanical strength and properties. It is compatible and needed by human body for biological reaction and as co-factor in enzymes. However in chloride abundant environment like in human body fluid, it degrades faster therefore modification by alloying is one of the recommended techniques to solve this problem. In this project, the effect of zinc composition in Mg-Zn-Ca alloy on the biodegradability is investigated. Zinc composition is varied between 0%, 1% and 2 %. Results show that the Mg-Zn-Ca alloy with one weight percent zinc has the lowest weight loss. This indicate that the alloy has the highest corrosion resistance and would prolong degradation rate of stent.