Electrospun Nanofibrous Polymer Coated Magnesium Alloy for Biodegradable Implant Applications

AbstractIn the present study, AZ31 magnesium alloy sheets were chemically treated and then coated with polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers by electrospinning technique to fabricate biodegradable magnesium based implants. PCL nanofibrous mat of average fiber thickness 110nm covered the entire substrate after coating. Wettability studies carried by contact angle measurements indicated improved hydrophilicity for chemically treated AZ31 due to the formation of magnesium hydroxide and moderate hydrophobicity for polymer coated AZ31. Bio-mineralization and degradation studies conducted in super saturated simulated body fluids clearly showed improved corrosion resistance for both the chemically treated and polymer coated AZ31 compared with annealed AZ31. Among all the samples, nano-fiber coated AZ31 has shown excellent corrosion resistance