Microstructure, mechanical properties, and in vitro behavior of biodegradable Zn-1Mg-0.1Ca and Zn-1Mg-0.5Ca

In the present study, the microstructure, mechanical properties, corrosion behavior, wettability, haemocompatibility, and cytocompatibility of the as-cast and as-rolled biodegradable Zn-1Mg-0.1Ca and Zn-1Mg-0.5Ca have been systematically investigated to evaluate their feasibility as potential biodegradable materials. The results demonstrated that the Zn-1Mg-0.1Ca have significantly improved mechanical properties, with the yield strength (YS), ultimate tensile strength (UTS), and elongation of as-rolled Zn-1Mg-0.1Ca are (209.04 ± 28.31) MPa, (331.51 ± 40.06) MPa, and (35.43 ± 3.53)%, respectively. Wettability test results demonstrated that the Zn-1Mg-0.1Ca and Zn-1Mg-0.5Ca have hydrophilic surfaces that can enhance cell responses and tissue-implant interactions. The haemocompatibility evaluation showed that the hemolysis ratio of Zn-1Mg-0.1Ca have a low hemolysis ratio of 0.6%; the platelets remain sphere morphology and are not activated. High cell viability indicates the cytocompatibility of the as-rolled Zn-1Mg-0.1Ca alloy. The Zn-1Mg-0.1Ca alloy can be considered as new suitable biodegradable Zn-based alloys for further biomedical applications.