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Materials Science and Engineering Seminar

Dr. Malgorzata Sikora-Jasinska
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Michigan Technological University

Abstract: Zn, Fe, Mg and their related alloys have been extensively studied as biodegradable metals (BMs). BMs are expected to degrade uniformly until the full recovery of impaired tissues while preserving their mechanical integrity. At the same time, the elemental composition of the alloy implant cannot affect the hosting tissue by the release of toxic ions and the formation of harmful degradation products. A biodegradable device is envisaged to completely dissolve after having accomplished its structural function in the body. In the design of BMs, the implant/tissue interface is one of the most critical concerns, which should be controlled aimed at achieving a modulable and uniform corrosion. The establishment of a reliable standard is necessary to evaluate the effect of physiological parameters on the degradation of BMs. This talk aims to enlighten the main benefits and limitations of in vitro methodologies that are used in examining the biodegradation behavior of BMs. To date, corrosion studies have been focused mainly on the calculation of the degradation rates. A detailed investigation on the corrosion initiation, progression and formation/development of corrosion products and their precise identification remains largely unexplored. The lack of data on the formation and composition of the corrosion products over time makes their biosafety assessment challenging. The latest efforts have yielded the development of several testing strategies, predicting the evolution of BMs corrosion and ion release.

The results reveal that a variety of parameters affect the ions release (including temperature, stability of pH, composition of the testing solution, duration of tests, etc.); however, there is no agreements regarding the quantitative extent that each factor contributes. Although each model might be beneficial for simulating certain mechanisms of metal dissolution, no single model of degradation, providing a comprehensive depiction of metal release phenomenon has been developed.

Bio: Malgorzata achieved her B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from Silesian University of Technology in Poland. She worked on design and analysis of the mechanical performance of cardiovascular stents as her M.Sc. research studies. Malgorzata graduated in April 2018 from Laval University, Canada, and Polytechnic of Milan, Italy with a double PhD degree in Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering. During her PhD, Malgorzata’s research focus was centered on the formulation, design and validation of Fe- and Zn-based metallic biomaterials for degradable implant applications. Her long-standing interest is the development of new testing approaches for corrosion evaluation of biodegradable materials (BMs). She has established many testing strategies for this class of metals to study destructive properties of corrosive media, corrosive actions and other deterioration problems. She is currently doing her post-doctoral research at Michigan Technological University. She is working on the development of improved experimental methods for corrosion assessment of BMs through investigating biologically and microbiologically induced degradation properties.