Preparation, microstructure and property of zinc-substituted hydroxyapatite/magnesium biocomposite

Zinc-substituted hydroxyapatite (Zn-HA, Ca10-xZnx(PO4)6(OH)2) is used as the modified material of hydroxyapatite (HA, Ca10 (PO4)6(OH)2). In this work, Zn-HA with Zn contents of 10-30 mol% was used to produce Zn-HA/Mg composites by powder metallurgy. The calculated results showed that the crystallite size and lattice parameters of Zn-HA powders varied with the contents of 0-30 mol% Zn, confirming that the divalent Zn2+ ions can substitute Ca2+ ions in HA. Furthermore, the microstructure, mechanical property and electrochemical corrosion behavior of Zn-HA/Mg composites were investigated by SEM, compression tests, and electrochemical corrosion tests, respectively. The results indicate that the highest density and lowest porosity are obtained and the optimal mechanical property and corrosion resistance are achieved in the Zn-HA/Mg composites with 20 mol% Zn.