Mechanical Properties, Microstructure, Degradation Behavior, and Biocompatibility of Zn-0.5Ti-0.5Fe and Zn-0.5Ti-0.5Mg Guided Bone Regeneration Barrier Membranes Prepared Using a Powder Metallurgy Method

Pure zinc exhibits low mechanical properties, making it unsuitable for use in guided bone regeneration (GBR) membranes. The present study focused on the preparation of Zn alloy GBR films using powder metallurgy, resulting in Zn-0.5Ti-0.5Fe and Zn-0.5Ti-0.5Mg alloy GBR films. The tensile strength of the pure Zn GBR film measured 85.9 MPa, while an elongation at break was 13.5%. In contrast, Zn-0.5Ti-0.5Fe and Zn-0.5Ti-0.5Mg alloy GBR films demonstrated significantly higher tensile strengths of 145.3 and 164.4 MPa, respectively, whereas elongations at break were 30.2% and 19.3%. The addition of Ti, Fe, and Mg substantially enhanced the mechanical properties of the zinc alloys. Corrosion analysis revealed that Zn-0.5Ti-0.5Fe and Zn-0.5Ti-0.5Mg alloy GBR membranes exhibited corrosion potentials of -1.298 and -1.316 V, respectively, with corresponding corrosion current densities of 12.11 and 13.32 μA/cm². These values were translated to corrosion rates of 0.181 and 0.199 mm/year, indicating faster corrosion rates compared to pure Zn GBR membranes, which displayed a corrosion rate of 0.108 mm/year. Notably, both Zn-based alloy GBR membranes demonstrated excellent cytocompatibility, with a cytotoxicity rating of 0-1 in 25% leachate. Additionally, these membranes exhibited favorable osteogenic ability, as evidenced by the quantitative bone volume/tissue volume ratios (BV/TV) of new bone formation, which reached 30.3 ± 1.4% and 65.5 ± 1.8% for the Zn-0.5Ti-0.5Fe and Zn-0.5Ti-0.5Mg alloy GBR membranes, respectively, after 12 weeks of implantation. These results highlighted the significant potential for facilitating new bone growth. The proposed Zn-0.5Ti-0.5Fe and Zn-0.5Ti-0.5Mg alloy GBR membranes showed promise as viable biodegradable materials for future clinical studies.