On the corrosion behaviour of newly developed biodegradable Mg-based metal matrix composites produced by in situ reaction

Biodegradable Mg-based metal matrix composite (Mg-MMC) reinforced by MgO ceramics and Mg-Zn intermetallics were prepared by in situ reaction using a powder mixture of pure magnesium and 20 wt% ZnO as raw materials. The corrosion behaviour of Mg-MMC was evaluated by electrochemical measurements and immersion tests in Hanks' solution. Results show that the newly developed Mg-MMC is composed of alpha-Mg matrix and uniformly distributed MgO ceramic and Mg-Zn intermetallics in matrix as reinforcements. The Mg-MMC possesses a corrosion behaviour comparable to pure magnesium and exhibits enhanced improvement in mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.