Bio-adaptive Coatings on Mg alloys

• Applicants: Professor Dr.-Ing. Aldo Boccaccini; Professorin Dr. Sannakaisa Virtanen; Professor Dr. Frank Witte
• Subject Area: Biomaterials
• Term: from 2014 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 263858005

Magnesium and its alloys are possible candidates for biologically degradable biomaterials. They offer an interesting combination of resorbability, biocompatibility and mechanical stability compared with previous resorbable materials in medical application (polymers). Therefore Mg-materials are intensively studied: as potential temporary orthopaedic and cardiological implants as well as bone replacement materials. The use of this material fails due to the missing control of the corrosion rates, respectively due to the missing trust in the control.The aim of the project is to deliver a major contribution to the understanding of degradation of the coated substrates made of Mg alloys and to force the development of a new family of bio-adaptive coating. Especially the interactions and effects of a bioadaptive coating to the corrosion process will be analyzed. The interface between coating and substrate is significantly affecting not only the corrosion of the entire component but also the adhesion of the coating. This study produce in a first step the base for the use of bio-adaptive coatings onto orthopaedic implants made of Mg alloys and in a second step also for scaffolds as bone replacement.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants