Magnesium Alloys for Open-Pored Bioresorbable Implants

If bone defects occur, the body’s own healing mechanism can close them below a critical size; for larger defects, bone autografts are used. These are typically cut from the same person’s hip in a second surgery. Consequently, the risk of complications, such as inflammations, rises. To avoid the risks resulting from the second surgery, absorbable, open-pored implants can be used. In the present study, the suitability of different magnesium alloys as absorbable porous bone substitute material has been investigated. Using the investment casting process with its design flexibility, the implant’s structure can be adapted to the ideal pore geometry with respect to bone ingrowth behavior. Different magnesium alloys (Mg-La2, LAE442, and ZX61) were studied and rated in terms of their degradation rate, bone ingrowth behavior, biocompatibility, and resorbability of the individual alloying elements

Compaction of crushed salt for safe containment: Overview of phase 2 of the KOMPASS project

The KOMPASS project strives to improve the scientific basis behind using crushed salt for long-term isolation of high-level nuclear waste within rock salt repositories. Efforts to improve the prediction of crushed salt compaction began during the first phase of the KOMPASS project (KOMPASS-I, 2020). The second project phase (KOMPASS-II) just started in 2021. Its aim is foremost to quantify the effect of isolated experimental influencing factors on the compaction. Such influencing factors are for instance temperature, moisture or the chosen stress path. Used methods are laboratory tests, microstructural investigations and numerical simulations

Compaction of crushed salt for safe containment: Overview of phase 2 of the KOMPASS project

The KOMPASS project strives to improve the scientific basis behind using crushed salt for long-term isolation of high-level nuclear waste within rock salt repositories. Efforts to improve the prediction of crushed salt compaction began during the first phase of the KOMPASS project (KOMPASS-I, 2020). The second project phase (KOMPASS-II) just started in 2021. Its aim is foremost to quantify the effect of isolated experimental influencing factors on the compaction. Such influencing factors are for instance temperature, moisture or the chosen stress path. Used methods are laboratory tests, microstructural investigations and numerical simulations