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

可生物降解材料，如镁（Mg），由于其机械性能、生物相容性和体内降解性，在医疗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——在骨愈合之前就会发生降解。该研究建立在这样一个假设之上，即通过开发具有足够成分选择的镁基复合材料和镁合金，可以通过调整机械完整性和降解率来克服这些挑战。为了实现这一目标，我将开发一类新的基于相场的模型来解决生物材料降解背后的电化学-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）。计算预测将与补充的实验活动进行基准测试，随后用于绘制可行性制度并获得基本见解，这将为新的基于mg的生物工程解决方案奠定基础。目标是开发一个“虚拟平台”，在其功能寿命结束时，能够根据所需的种植体几何形状/完整性定制生物腐蚀速率，并具有影响临床实践的长期目标。我在结构材料相场腐蚀方面的开创性工作加强了研究的可行性，并安排了跨学科合作，包括伦敦帝国理工学院的两位在生物材料和相场多物理模型方面享有世界领先声誉的主持导师（J. Jones）和一位领导补充H2020项目的合作者，重点是Mg和Mg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).