Biodegradable magnesium alloys

A method for producing an alloy of Formula (I):

• Mg—Zn—X Formula (I)
• wherein:
• X represents —Ca—Mn or —Dy—Sr;
• Mg is magnesium, Zn is zinc, Dy is dysprosium, Sr is strontium, Ca is calcium and Mn is manganese;
• wherein said alloy comprises, based on total weight:
• about 0.1 wt % to about 3.0 wt % Zn,
• about 0.1 wt % to about 0.7 wt % Dy,
• about 0.1 wt % to about 0.9 wt % Sr, and
• balance of Mg and impurities;
• or
• about 0.1 wt % to about 3.0 wt % Zn,
• about 0.1 wt % to about 1.5 wt % Ca,
• about 0.1 wt % to about 0.9 wt % Mn, and
• balance of Mg and impurities;
• wherein said method comprises:
• (a) placing alloy components in a crucible, wherein the alloy components are placed in the crucible in a multilayer arrangement;
• (b) melting the alloy components at about 700° C. to about 850° C. to form a first melt;
• (c) stirring the first melt of step (b) at about 400 rpm to about 500 rpm to form a second melt;
• (d) atomizing the second melt of step (c) into millimeter size droplets using jets of inert gas;
• (e) cooling and depositing the millimeter size droplets of step (d) to obtain an ingot;
• wherein the multilayer arrangement of step (a) comprises an A-B-A arrangement, wherein A consists of a first alloy component and B consists of a second alloy component, wherein the first and second alloy components each consist of a single alloy material or a blended alloy mixture of two or more alloy materials;
• or
• wherein the multilayer arrangement of step (a) comprises an A-B-A-B-A arrangement, wherein A consists of a first alloy component and B consists of a second alloy component, wherein the first and second alloy components each consist of a single alloy material or a blended alloy mixture of two or more alloy materials.