NewPhaseBio - A new generation of phase field-based models to predict the degradation of biomaterials

生物可降解材料，如镁（Mg），由于其机械性能，生物相容性和体内可降解性，在医学应用中引起了极大的关注。然而，它们作为植入材料的使用受到其快速腐蚀速率和机械故障的阻碍-在骨愈合之前发生降解。该奖学金建立在假设的基础上，这些挑战可以通过定制的机械完整性和降解率，通过开发镁基复合材料和镁合金与适当的选择组成克服。为了实现这一目标，我将开发一类新的基于相场的模型，解决生物材料降解的电化学机械过程，将相场方法的成功扩展到一个新的学科（生物腐蚀）。计算预测将以补充实验活动为基准，随后用于绘制可行性制度并获得基本见解，这将为新的镁基生物工程解决方案奠定基础。目标是开发一个“虚拟平台”，在功能寿命结束时，能够根据所需的植入物几何形状/完整性调整生物腐蚀率，并长期影响临床实践。我在结构材料相场腐蚀方面的开创性工作，以及安排的跨学科合作，加强了研究的可行性，其中包括伦敦帝国理工学院的两位主管，他们在生物材料（J. Jones）和相场多物理建模（E. Martinez-Pañeda），以及一个合作者领导的补充H2020项目，该项目专注于镁和镁基复合材料植入物的实验测试（J. Llorca，马德里理工大学和IMDEA材料）。

Biodegradable materials, such as magnesium (Mg), have attracted significant attention in medical applications due to theirmechanical properties, biocompatibility, and in vivo degradability. However, their use as implant materials is being hindered by theirrapid corrosion rates and mechanical failures - degradation occurs before bone healing. This fellowship builds upon the hypothesisthat these challenges can be overcome by tailoring the mechanical integrity and degradation rates through the development of Mgbasedcomposite materials and Mg alloys with adequate choices of composition. To achieve this, I will develop a new class of phasefield-based models that resolve the electro-chemo-mechanical processes underlying biomaterial degradation, extending the successof phase field approaches to a new discipline (bio-corrosion). Computational predictions will be benchmarked against acomplementary experimental campaign, and subsequently used to map viability regimes and gain fundamental insight that will setthe basis for new Mg-based bioengineering solutions. The goal is to develop a "virtual platform" that will enable tailoringbiocorrosion rates to the desired implant geometry/integrity at the end of its functional life, with the long-term ambition of impactingclinical practice. The feasibility of the research is strengthened by my pioneering work in phase field corrosion for structural materials,and the interdisciplinary collaboration arranged, involving two host supervisors at Imperial College London with a world-leadingreputation in biomaterials (J. Jones) and phase field multi-physics modelling (E. Martinez-Pañeda), and a collaborator leading acomplementary H2020 project focused on experimental testing of Mg and Mg-based composite implants (J. Llorca, PolytechnicUniversity of Madrid and IMDEA Materials).