Microstructural and mechanical properties of biodegradable iron foam prepared by powder metallurgy

• Highly porous iron with interconnected porosity was prepared by powder metallurgy.
• The use of higher compacting pressure and finer iron enhanced mechanical properties.
• The samples possessed mechanical properties comparable with human cancellous bone.

Research into biodegradable porous materials has been increasingly focused on iron-based materials because such materials possess suitable properties for orthopedic applications. In this study, we prepared porous iron with porosities of 32–82 vol.% by powder metallurgy using ammonium bicarbonate as a space-holder material. We studied the influence of initial powder size and compacting pressure on sample microstructure, contamination and mechanical characteristics. The experimental results were analyzed as well, using Gibson–Ashby model and this analysis showed a good agreement in theoretical and experimental data. Whereas increasing compression pressure decreased porosity, the use of finer iron powder led to an increase in porosity. Increasing the amount of space-holder material in the initial mixture increased the total porosity, improved compressibility and consequently decreased the number of pores originating from imperfect compaction. A higher compacting pressure and the use of finer powder enhanced both the flexural and compressive properties. Even the most porous samples prepared from the fine iron powder possessed mechanical properties comparable to human cancellous bone. Based on these results, we can claim that the use of fine initial iron powder is necessary to obtain highly porous iron, which appears to be suitable for orthopedic applications.

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