Tomsk State National Research University, Tomsk, Russia:

A. N. Monogenov, Senior Researcher at the Laboratory of Superelastic Biointerfaces at the Science Office, Candidate of Physics & Mathematics Sciences, e-mail: monogenov@mail.ru
E. S. Marchenko, Head of the Laboratory for Medical Alloys and Shape Memory Implants at the Siberian Physical-Technical Institute, Associate Professor, Candidate of Physics & Mathematics Sciences
G. A. Baygonakova, Senior Researcher at the Laboratory for Medical Alloys and Shape Memory Implants at the Siberian Physical-Technical Institute, Candidate of Physics & Mathematics Sciences
A. P. Khrustalev, Senior Researcher at the Laboratory for Metallurgical Nanotechnology at the Science Office, Candidate of Physics & Mathematics Sciences

Magnesium alloys serve as a promising material for making implants as they are capable of bioresorption after they have fulfilled their fixation function, and thus a part of the implant is gradually replaced with new regenerated bone tissue with no negative impact on a living organism. Pure magnesium (99.5%), metallic zinc (99.9%) and calcium (99.9%) were used as initial materials for this research. Having been exposed to the ultrasonic action of a magnetostrictive water-cooled transducer, the Mg – 4 Zn – 1 Ca alloys were examined for their phase composition, microstructure, surface topology and surface potential, strength and the rate of bioresorption. A correlation was established between the volume fraction of the second phase Mg₆Ca₂Zn₃ along the boundaries of dendritic cells and the rate of bioresorption in a synthetic culture medium. Ultrasonic treatment was found to inhibit the bioresorption of the Mg – 4 Zn – 1 Ca alloys by 18 times while enhancing their structural and phase homogeneity. The latter manifests itself as a reduced amount of interstitial impurities in the α-Mg grains, reduced volume fraction of the β-phase Mg₆Ca₂Zn₃ at the boundaries of dendritic cells and reduced roughness. At the same time, a growth of the surface potential is noted following ultrasonic treatment of the melt. The lattice parameter a, the unit cell volume V and the с/a ratio of the master α-Mg phase drop after an ultrasonic impact. A growth in the ultimate compression strength and the maximum strain before fracture was registered following an ultrasonic impact. After ultrasonic treatment, the Mg – 4 Zn – 1 Ca alloys manifest more stable mechanical characteristics with a minimal variation of values.
This research was funded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation under Agreement No. 075-15-2021-1384.

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