Preprint of "Microstructure, Mechanical Properties, and Long-Term Degradation of Electro-formed Iron for Biodegradable Implants"

General description: The preprint for a publication, "Microstructure, Mechanical Properties, and Long-Term Degradation of Electro-formed Iron for Biodegradable Implants", is being submitted for review. Abstract: Biodegradable iron is a promising material for temporary implants, but its slow degradation limits its application. Therefore, this study evaluated electroforming as a way to accelerate the degradation of pure iron. Electroformed Fe (EF-Fe) was compared with cast Fe in terms of microstructure, mechanical prop-erties, and long-term degradation in physiological solution (PS) and simulated body fluid (SBF). EF-Fe formed a compact, single-phase α-Fe layer with a predominantly columnar microstructure. It showed comparable tensile strength and nearly twice the microhardness of cast Fe, but much lower elongation. Moreover, EF-Fe degraded about four times faster in PS and eighteen times faster in SBF and released more Fe into both solutions. However, the degradation was more localized along the columnar micro-structure. Overall, electroforming effectively increased the degradation rate of pure iron, although further microstructural optimization is needed to improve ductility and degradation uniformity. Versions: V1 - an original version that has been submitted to Manufacturing Technology.