Development of high performance MgFe alloy as potential biodegradable materials

Abstract Magnesium (Mg) and iron (Fe) are the most promising candidates as biodegradable biomaterials. It has been demonstrated that Fe revealed excellent mechanical properties and a very slow degradation rate, while Mg exhibited a very quick degradation rate in the human body and poor mechanical performance. By promoting Mg and Fe alloying, we designed and developed a new type Mg-Fe alloy. The procedure required preparation of Mg-Fe alloy powders by ball milling, followed by consolidating the as-milled powders using spark plasma sintering process. The developed Mg-Fe alloys revealed excellent mechanical properties with ultrahigh strength and high hardness, as well as with improved biodegradation rate. The idea that is outlined opens up new opportunities toward develop ideal biodegradable biomaterials.