This paper reports a degradation study of Zn–(3 wt%) Mg alloy proposed for biodegradable medical implants. The alloy was cast from high-purity raw materials and homogenized at 370 ℃ for 15 h under vacuum and water quenched. The effect of homogenization on microstructure and degradation behavior in simulated body fluid was investigated. Results showed that homogenization transformed the star-like dendritic Zn-rich shape into a network of precipitate phase along eutectic colony and dispersed Mg2Zn11 phase. The homogenized alloy showed higher degradation resistance compared to the as-cast alloy, pure Zn, and pure Mg samples. The relationship between microstructure and degradation behavior discussed further in this paper.
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