On corrosion behaviour of magnesium alloy AZ31 in simulated body fluids and influence of ionic liquid pretreatments

Abstract

This paper reports on the corrosion of Mg alloy AZ31 in simulated body fluid (SBF) using static immersion tests and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. A preliminary study on the effect of flowing SBF on the corrosion behaviour of AZ31 has also been carried out. Low toxicity ionic liquids (ILs) trimethyl(butyl)phosphonium diphenyl phosphate P₁₄₄₄DPP and trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium bis-2,4,4trimethylpentyl-phosphinate [P₆₆₆₁₄][ⁱ(C₈)₂PO₂] have been used to provide corrosion protection for AZ31 in SBF. Time dependent immersion tests indicate that under static conditions, AZ31 suffers severe localised corrosion in SBF, with pits developing predominantly beside the Al–Mn intermetallic phase in the α matrix. At longer immersion times, the corrosion product eventually precipitates and covers the entire specimen surface. When exposed to SBF under flowing conditions with a shear stress of 0·88 Pa, more uniform corrosion was observed. The optical profilometry results and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis suggest that both P₁₄₄₄DPP and [P₆₆₆₁₄][ⁱ(C₈)₂PO₂] pretreatments can increase the corrosion resistance of AZ31 in SBF, in particular by decreasing the number of deeper pits found on the alloy surface. Cytotoxic test shows that the presence of the ILs P₁₄₄₄DPP and [P₆₆₆₁₄][ⁱ(C₈)₂PO₂] in cell culture media slightly inhibits the growth of human coronary artery endothelial cells in comparison with the good cell viability around the treated specimen. A pretreatment with IL is used in order to improve the corrosion resistance of this alloy in SBF.

Keywords:

• Mg alloy AZ31
• Coronary artery stents
• Simulated body fluid
• Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
• Flowing cell
• Ionic liquids

The authors would like to acknowledge Boston Scientific and ACEs for funding the linkage project no. LP0990621. Special thanks to S. Moulton (University of Wollongong) and J. Weber and T. Schenermann (Boston Scientific) for advice and organisation and J. Sun (Monash University and Cytes Industrials) for providing the IL used.

Notes

This article is part of a special issue on the durability of biomaterials and biocorrosion.