Additive Manufacturing of Magnesium Alloys and Shape Memory Alloys for Biomedical Applications: Challenges and Opportunities

Magnesium alloys have emerged as a new class of biomaterials due to their unique properties, such as biodegradability, biocompatibility, and high stiffness similar to human bones. Shape memory alloys (SMA) have also become promising biomaterials for use in biomedical applications, including orthopedics, because of their excellent multi-functional properties, fatigue resistance, and biocompatibility. Recently, the ability to produce patient-specific parts with complex geometries and improved multi-functionality has drawn great attention towards additive manufacturing (AM) processes to produce biomedical device components. This paper provides an analysis of the manufacturing conditions for producing magnesium-based and shape memory biomaterials improved by rare-earth elements (REEs) and critical minerals using AM techniques, particularly the laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) process. Microstructural evolutions, mechanical properties, and corrosion behavior resulting from processing parameters and alloying elements are investigated to recognize the knowledge gaps and recommend future research directions for the development of additively manufactured biomaterials.