Corrosion studies of plasma modified magnesium alloy in simulated body fluid (SBF) solutions

Magnesium (Mg) and its alloys are third-generation biomedical implant material in the biomedical field. The limitation of using Mg in medical applications is its rapid corrosion rate. In the present work, for the first time, AZ91 magnesium alloy surface treated with the inductively coupled Ar/O2 Plasma process to decrease the corrosion rate of the alloy. The oxidation mechanism and surface analysis have been investigated in detail. The electrochemical studies in SBF solution reveal that plasma modified surface increases the corrosion resistance of the alloy compared to the untreated surface. •AZ91 magnesium alloy surface was modified with inductively coupled Ar/O2 plasma.•Plasma rapidly oxidizes the surface of the alloy and creates a nanoporous surface.•Electrochemical studies indicate that the formed surface increases the corrosion resistance of the alloy.