LAUSR

Fe-based biodegradable alloys such as Fe–Mn are interesting for biodegradable implants; however, their corrosion rate for such applications is too low. Here, nanosecond-laser surface texturing is applied as a successful surface treatment for increasing the degradation rate of an Fe–Mn alloy. Laser texturing increases the surface area by increasing the surface porosity and generating a super-hydrophilic surface. Electrochemistry tests revealed that the laser-textured samples have a higher corrosion rate than a polished sample, thus enhancing the biodegradability of the Fe–Mn alloy. EDS analyses revealed a significantly higher content of Mn on the surface in the oxidized layer compared to the bulk Fe–Mn composition, which is one of the reasons for the increased corrosion rate. This work demonstrates the potential of laser-treated surfaces of biodegradable metals for biomedical applications.