Pre-treatment and organic coating of Al free Mg alloy for controlling degradation rates

Abstract

Biodegradable implant material for medical applications has to fulfill specific therapeutic tasks. For our investigations, synthetic polymers, i.e., polyurethanes (PUR) and polyetherimide (PEI), were used. Both systems have been used to coat an Al-free Mg alloy. Characterization of materials was performed by infrared spectroscopy (IR), spark spectral analysis, microscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Electrochemical investigations of the different treated samples in aqueous NaCl and Hank's Balanced Salt Solution indicate specific response of the polymer/substrate system to corrosion attack.