Quantitative Imaging of Magnesium Biodegradation by 3D X-Ray Ptychography and Electron Microscopy
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Date
2024-09-04
Publication Type
Journal Article
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yes
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Abstract
Magnesium-based alloys are excellent materials for temporary medical implants, but understanding and controlling their corrosion performance is crucial. Most nanoscale corrosion studies focus on the surface, providing only 2D information. In contrast, macro- and microscale X-ray tomography offers representative volume information, which is, however, comparatively low in resolution and rather qualitative. Here a new mesoscale approach overcomes these drawbacks and bridges the scale gap by combining 3D measurements using ptychographic X-ray computed tomography (PXCT) with electron microscopy. This combination allows to observe the corrosion progress non-destructively in 3D and provides high-resolution chemical information on the corrosion products. A medical Mg-Zn-Ca alloy is used and compared the same sample in the pristine and corroded states. With PXCT an isotropic resolution of 85 and 123 nm is achieved for the pristine and corroded states respectively, which enables to distinguish nanoscale Mg2Ca precipitates from the matrix. The corroded state in best approximation to the in situ conditions is imaged and reveals the complexity of corrosion products. The results illustrate that the corrosion-layer is dense and defect-free, and the corrosion of the material is grain-orientation sensitive. The developed workflow can advance research on bioactive materials and corrosion-sensitive functional materials.
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Publication status
published
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Journal / series
Volume
34 (36)
Pages / Article No.
2408869
Publisher
Wiley-VCH
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Edition / version
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Software
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Date collected
Date created
Subject
biodegradation; correlative electron microscopy; magnesium; X-ray tomography
Organisational unit
03661 - Löffler, Jörg F. / Löffler, Jörg F.
02891 - ScopeM / ScopeM
Notes
Funding
180367 - Design of biomedically adjusted magnesium alloys and implants to generate a paradigm shift in cranio-maxillofacial surgery (SNF)