Corrosion cracking in Mg alloys based bioimplants

Recently, magnesium alloys have garnered a lot of interest as a potentially useful material for applications involving biodegradable implants. Cracking or fracture of metal-based implants under the combined action of corrosion and mechanical stresses, namely stress corrosion cracking (SCC) is an obviously critical criterion before any new material might be deployed as implants. Cracking or fracture of metal-based implants occurs under the simultaneous action of corrosion and mechanical stresses. This article gives a review of the existing literature on the SCC of magnesium alloys in corrosive environments, including simulated body fluid and the accompanying fracture process. It also indicates the knowledge gap that exists in this area of research. In addition, a high-level review of the preventative measures that may be taken to avoid potential corrosion fatigue failures in magnesium alloys is provided.