Microstructure evolution, mechanical properties, degradation properties, and cytocompatibility of degradable Zn-0.45Li alloy wire used for ligature clips

Abstract

In this study, the extruded Zn-0.45Li alloy was processed through multiple passes of rotary forging to obtain ultrafine crystalline materials with 3 mm and 1 mm diameters. At 1 mm, the tensile strength reached 610 MPa, and the elongation remained at 38.4 %. The rotary forging treatment promoted the uniform distribution of LiZn₄ phase and grain refinement. An extremely strong [0001]//ND basal texture was observed at 1 mm. The immersion and electrochemical experiments indicated that under the influence of the rotary forging process, the corrosion resistance of Zn-0.45Li monotonically decreased, and the final degradation rate was maintained at approximately 40 μm/year. The results of cytotoxicity tests and fluorescence staining experiments showed that the Zn-0.45Li alloy exhibited excellent cytocompatibility, indicating that the rotary forging process effectively improves the comprehensive performance of Zn-0.45Li and has great potential for application.