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Due to its mechanical properties and biodegradability, AZ31 magnesium alloy is being considered as a potential material for ureteral stents. This work focuses on the interaction of AZ31 alloy with artificial urine to assess its corrosion resistance. Samples of AZ31 alloy were immersed in artificial urine for different lengths of time and then their corrosion degradation was evaluated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive spectrometer (SEM-EDS) and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) were used for surface characterization and identification of corrosion products. Electrochemical behaviour was determined by potentiodynamic polarization (PDP). The results showed that the degradation of AZ31 in artificial urine decreased over time. The thickness of the corrosion products reached up to 20 µm after one week. The corrosion products were mainly composed of phosphates. AZ31 alloy appears to be a suitable candidate for the study of magnesium ureteral stents.
Keywords: AZ31 alloy, artificial urine, ureteral stent, corrosion© This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.