Degradation of Magnesium Alloy AZ31 with Silicon Coating in Artificial Plasma

A silicon coating on magnesium alloy AZ31 was prepared by dipping method. Immersion experiments were carried out to investigate the degradation and corrosion behavior of the silicon coated specimen in artificial plasma medium. The surface morphology and composition were examined by electon proke microanalyzer (EPMA) and the cytotoxicity of the coating was detected by MTT colorimetric assay. The results show that the corrosion rate of magnesium alloy AZ31 with silicon coating was reduced to a half of that without coating. Cytotoxicity was not found out for AZ31 with silicon coating. These results improved the understanding of the degradation mechanism of surgical magnesium used for intravascular stent in the physiological environment.