In the present research work, porous Mg-Zn-Mn-HA alloy was successfully fabricated by mechanical alloying of magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), and hydroxyapatite (HA) powders followed by consolidation using Spark Plasma Sintering technique. The microstructure, surface topography, and element composition of the Mg-Zn-Mn-HA alloy was investigated using optical microscope, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The micro-hardness of the specimens was measured on a Vickers hardness tester. The microstructure and FESEM examination of the compact revealed that the alloy distinctly shows the porosities in the microstructure. It was observed that complex reactions between HA and alloy elements occurred during the sintering process of Mg-Zn-Mn-HA alloy and biocompatible phases such as Manganese Oxide ((MnO)_(0.441) (CaO)_(0.559)), Mgo.97 Zn_(0.03), Manganese Phosphide (Mn_(1.9) P), Calcium Manganese Oxide (Ca2 Mn8 O_(16)), and Zincite (ZnO2) were generated in the compact, which is beneficial to form apatite and improved the bioactivity of the alloy for osseiointegartion. The fabricated Mg-Zn-Mn-HA alloy exhibits maximum micro-hardness (-97 HV), which is very high value as compared to the alloys reported in literature. Based on these above observations, it is expected that the as-fabricated Mg-Zn-Mn-HA alloy is suggested for orthopaedic applications.
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