Wear behavior of Ti6Al4V biomedical alloys processed by selective laser melting, hot pressing and conventional casting

The aim of this work was to study the influence of the processing route on the microstructural constituents,hardness andtribological(wear and friction)behavior of Ti6Al4V biomedical alloy.In this sense,three different processing routes were studied:conventional casting,hot pressing and selective laser melting.A comprehensive metallurgical,mechanical and tribologicalcharacterization was performed by X-ray diffraction analysis,Vickers hardness tests and reciprocating ball-on-plate wear tests ofTi6Al4V/Al2O3sliding pairs.The results showed a great influence of the processing route on the microstructural constituents andconsequent differences on hardness and wear performance.The highest hardness and wear resistance were obtained for Ti6Al4Valloy produced by selective laser melting,due to a markedly different cooling rate that leads to significantly different microstructurewhen compared to hot pressing and casting.This study assesses and confirms that selective laser melting is potential to producecustomized Ti6Al4V implants with improved wear performance.

A state-of-the-art review of the fabrication and characteristics of titanium and its alloys for biomedical applications

Commercially pure titanium and titanium alloys have been among the most commonly used materials for biomedical applications since the 1950 s.Due to the excellent mechanical tribological properties,corrosion resistance,biocompatibility,and antibacterial properties of titanium,it is getting much attention as a biomaterial for implants.Furthermore,titanium promotes osseointegration without any additional adhesives by physically bonding with the living bone at the implant site.These properties are crucial for producing high-strength metallic alloys for biomedical applications.Titanium alloys are manufactured into the three types ofα,β,andα+β.The scientific and clinical understanding of titanium and its potential applications,especially in the biomedical field,are still in the early stages.This review aims to establish a credible platform for the current and future roles of titanium in biomedicine.We first explore the developmental history of titanium.Then,we review the recent advancement of the utility of titanium in diverse biomedical areas,its functional properties,mechanisms of biocompatibility,host tissue responses,and various relevant antimicrobial strategies.Future research will be directed toward advanced manufacturing technologies,such as powder-based additive manufacturing,electron beam melting and laser melting deposition,as well as analyzing the effects of alloying elements on the biocompatibility,corrosion resistance,and mechanical properties of titanium.Moreover,the role of titania nanotubes in regenerative medicine and nanomedicine applications,such as localized drug delivery system,immunomodulatory agents,antibacterial agents,and hemocompatibility,is investigated,and the paper concludes with the future outlook of titanium alloys as biomaterials.

Microstructure and properties of Ti64.51Fe26.40Zr5.86Sn2.93Y0.30 biomedical alloy fabricated by laser additive manufacturing

From the perspective of biomechanics and forming technology,Ti−Fe−Zr−Sn−Y eutectic alloy was designed using a“cluster-plus-glue-atom”model,and then the alloy was prepared by laser additive manufacturing(LAM)on pure titanium substrate.The mechanical properties of the alloy were evaluated using micro-hardness and compression tester,and the elastic modulus was measured by nanoindenter.The results show that the alloy exhibits a high hardness of HV(788±10),a high strength of 2229 MPa,a failure strain of 14%,and a low elastic modulus of 87.5 GPa.The alloy also has good tribological,chemical,forming,and biological properties.The comprehensive performances of the Ti64.51Fe26.40Zr5.86Sn2.93Y0.30 alloy are superior to those of the Ti70.5Fe29.5 eutectic alloy and commercial Ti−6Al−4V alloy.All the above-mentioned qualities make the alloy a promising candidate as LAM biomaterial.

Parameter optimization of microwave sintering porous Ti-23%Nb shape memory alloys for biomedical applications

Porous Ti-23%Nb(mole fraction)shape memory alloys(SMAs)were prepared successfully by microwave sintering with excellent outer finishing(without space holder).The effects of microwave-sintering on the microstructure,phase composition,phase-transformation temperature,mechanical properties and shape-memory effect were investigated.The results show that the density and size of porosity vary based on the sintering time and temperature,in which the smallest size and the most uniform pore shape are exhibited with Ti-23%Nb SMA after being sintered at 900°C for 30 min.The microstructure of porous Ti-Nb SMA consists of predominantα',α,andβphases in needle-like and plate-like morphologies,and their volume fractions vary based on the sintering time and temperature.Theβphase represents the largest phase due to the higher content ofβstabilizer element with little intensities ofαandα'phases.The highest ultimate strength and its strain are indicated for the sample sintered at 900°C for 30 min,while the best superelasticity is for the sample sintered at 1200°C for 30 min.The low-elastic modulus enables these alloys to avoid the problem of“stress shielding”.Therefore,microwave heating can be employed to sinter Ti-alloys for biomedical applications and improve the mechanical properties of these alloys.

Effect of thermo-mechanical processing on microstructure and electrochemical behavior of Ti-Nb-Zr-V new metastable β titanium biomedical alloy

The influence of thermo-mechanical processing (TMP) on the microstructure and the electrochemical behavior of new metastableβ alloy Ti?20.6Nb?13.6Zr?0.5V (TNZV) was investigated. The TMP included hot working in belowβ transus, solution heat treatments at the same temperature and different cooling rates in addition to aging. Depending upon the TMP conditions, a wide range of microstructures with varying spatial distributions and morphologies of equiaxed/elongatedα andβ phases were attained, allowing for a wide range of electrochemical properties to be achieved. The corrosion behavior of the studied alloy was evaluated in a Ringer’s solution at 37 °C via open circuit potential?time and potentiodynamic polarization measurements.

Effects of cold deformation on microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti-35Nb-2Zr-0.3O alloy for biomedical applications

The Ti-35Nb-2Zr-0.3O(mass fraction,%)alloy was melted under a high-purity argon atmosphere in a high vacuumnon-consumable arc melting furnace,followed by cold deformation.The effects of cold deformation process on microstructure andmechanical properties were investigated using the OM,XRD,TEM,Vicker hardness tester and universal material testing machine.Results indicated that the alloy showed multiple plastic deformation mechanisms,including stress-inducedα'martensite(SIMα')transformation,dislocation slipping and deformation twins.With the increase of cold deformation reduction,the tensile strength andhardness increased owing to the increase of dislocation density and grain refinement,and the elastic modulus slightly increasedowing to the increase of SIMα'phase.The90%cold deformed alloy exhibited a great potential to become a new candidate forbiomedical applications since it possessed low elastic modulus(56.2GPa),high tensile strength(1260MPa)and highstrength-to-modulus ratio(22.4×10-3),which are superior than those of Ti-6Al-4V alloy.

Laser additive manufacturing of biodegradable Mg-based alloys for biomedical applications: A review

Metallic implants are widely used in internal fixation of bone fracture in surgical treatment.They are mainly used for providing mechanical support and stability during bone reunion,which usually takes a few months to complete.Conventional implants made of stainless steels,Ti-based alloys and CoCrMo alloys have been widely used for orthopedic reconstruction due to their high strength and high corrosion resistance.Such metallic implants will remain permanently inside the body after implantation,and a second surgery after bone healing is needed because the long-term presence of implant will lead to various problems.An implant removal surgery not only incurs expenditure,but also risk and psychological burden.As a consequence,studies on the development of biodegradable implants,which would degrade and disappear in vivo after bone reunion is completed,have drawn researchers’attention.In this connection,Mg-based alloys have shown great potentials as promising implant materials mainly due to their low density,inherent biocompatibility,biodegradability and mechanical properties close to those of bone.However,the high degradation rate of Mg-based implants in vivo is the biggest hurdle to overcome.Apart from materials selection,a fixation implant is ideally tailor-made in size and shape for an individual case,for best surgical outcomes.Therefore,laser additive manufacturing(LAM),with the advent of sophisticated laser systems and software,is an ideal process to solve these problems.In this paper,we reviewed the progress in LAM of biodegradable Mg-based alloys for biomedical applications.The effect of powder properties and laser processing parameter on the formability and quality was thoroughly discussed.The microstructure,phase constituents and metallurgical defects formed in the LAMed samples were delineated.The mechanical properties,corrosion resistance,biocompatibility and antibacterial properties of the LAMed samples were summarized and compared with samples fabricated by traditional processes.In addition,we have made some suggestions for advancing the knowledge in the LAM of Mg-based alloys for biomedical implants.

Synthesis and characterization of Ti-Co alloy foam for biomedical applications

Highly porous Ti-Co alloy specimens for biomedical applications were synthesized by powder metallurgy based space holder technique. Ti alloys have high melting temperature and affinity for oxygen, which makes Ti alloys difficult to be processed. The Co addition reduces the melting temperature and Ti-Co alloy was sintered at lower temperatures. The electrochemical corrosion behaviour of the specimens was examined in the artificial saliva solution. The effects of Co content of the alloy, the p H value and fluoride concentration of the artificial saliva solution on the electrochemical corrosion properties of the specimens were investigated. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the specimens were examined. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results indicate that the corrosion resistance of the specimens decreases at high fluoride concentrations and low p H value. The defect density increases with increasing the fluoride concentration and decreasing the p H value of artificial saliva according to Mott-Schottky analysis.

Deposition of DLC Coating on Biomedical TiNi Alloys by Plasma Based Ion Implantation to Improve Surface Properties

Diamond-like carbon （DLC） films were successfully deposited on Ti- 50.8 at% Ni using plasma based ion implantation （PBII） technique. The influence of the pulsed negative bias voltage applied to the substrate from 12 kV to 40 kV on the microstracture, nano-indentation hardness and Young＇ s modulus, the surface characteristics and corrosion resistant property as well as hemocompatibility were investigated. The experimental resalts showed that C 1 s peak depended heavily on the bias voltage. With the increase of bias voltage, the ratio of sp2 / sp3 first decreased, reaching a minimum value at 20 kV, and then increased. The DLC coating deposited at 20 kV showed the highest hardness and elastic modulus values as a result of lower sp2/sp3 ratio. The RMS values first decreased from 7.202nm（12 kV） to 5.279 nm（20 kV）, and then increased to 11.449 nm（30 kV） and 7.060 nm（ 40 kV）. The uncoated TiNi alloy showed severe pitting corrosion, due to the presence of Cl-ions in the solution. On the contrary, the DLC coated sample showed very little pitting corrosion and behaved better corrosion resistant property especially for the specimens deposited at 20 kV bias voltages. The platelet adhesion test show that the hemocompatibility of DLC coated TiNi alloy is much better than that of bare TiNi alloy, and the hemocompatibility performance of DLC coated TiNi alloy deposited at 20 kV is superior to that of other coated specimens.

Degradation Rate Assessment of Biodegradable Magnesium Alloys

Biodegradable magnesium alloys have been widely used in medical implants. But safety concerns were put forward for the high degradation rate of biodegradable magnesium alloy. The optimal biodegradable magnesium alloys that give rise to the desired degradation rate hasn’t yet to be defined. Assessing the degradation rate of biodegradable magnesium alloys involves in vitro testing, in vivo testing, numerical modeling, understanding the factors influencing their degradation in physiological environments, biocompatibility testing, and clinical studies. It is important to standardize analytical tools aimed at assessing the degradation rate of biodegradable magnesium alloys. It is advisable to identify the threshold for safe degradation rate of biodegradable magnesium alloys in biomedical applications.

Effects of surface nanocrystallization on corrosion resistance of β-type titanium alloy

Surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) was performed on biomedicalβ-type TiNbZrFe alloy for 60 min at room temperature to study the effect of surface nanocrystallization on the corrosion resistance of TiNbZrFe alloy in physiological environment. The surface nanostructure was characterized by TEM, and the electrochemical behaviors of the samples with nanocrystalline layer and coarse grain were comparatively investigated in 0.9% NaCl and 0.2% NaF solutions, respectively. The results indicate that nanocrystallines with the size of 10-30 nm are formed within the surface layer of 30 μm in depth. The nanocrystallized surface behaves higher impedance, more positive corrosion potential and lower corrosion current density in 0.9%NaCl and 0.2%NaF solutions as compared with the coarse grain surface. The improvement of the corrosion resistance is attributed to the rapid formation of stable and dense passive film on the nanocrystallized surface of TiNbZrFe alloy.

Biodegradable Mg alloys for orthopedic implants——A review

The last decade has seen a significant growth in the market for alloys used for implants,especially for those intended for orthopedic implants.Research into biodegradable magnesium-based alloys has made great strides in this period,so huge progress has been made in their use in the medical industry.The important factors that led to the intensification of research in this regard,were social but also economic,wanting to improve the quality of life,by reducing the use of conventionally permanent metallic implants(stainless steel,cobalt-based alloys,and titanium alloys)which involve the second implant removal surgery and other undesirable effects(stress shielding and metal ion releases),with a negative impact on the emotional and physical condition of patients,and by significantly reducing the costs for both the patient and the health system in the field of orthopedics.This paper refers to the impact and importance of biodegradable Mg alloys,reviewing the beginning of their development,the significant characteristics that make them so desirable for such applications(orthopedic implants)but also the characteristics that must be modulated(corrosion rate and mechanical properties)to arrive at the ideal product for the targeted application.It highlights,in detail,the mechanism and aspects related to the corrosion behaviour of Mg alloys,electrochemical characterization techniques/methods,as well as strategies to improve the corrosion behaviour and mechanical properties of these types of biodegradable alloys.The means of optimization,the category and the effect of the alloying elements,the design criteria,the requirements that the implants of biodegradable alloys Mg-based must meet and the aspects related to their efficiency are also presented.Finally,the potential applications in the specialized clinics,as well as the final products currently used and made by important prestigious companies in the world are approached.

Recent progress in Mg-based alloys as a novel bioabsorbable biomaterials for orthopedic applications

Traditional orthopedic metal implants,such as titanium(Ti),Ti alloys,and cobalt-chromium(Co-Cr)alloys,cannot be degraded in vivo.Fracture patients is must always suffer a second operation to remove the implants.Moreover,stress shielding,or stress protection occurs when traditional orthopedic metal implants are applied in fractures surgery.The mechanical shunt produced by traditional orthopedic metal implants can cause bone loss over time,resulting in decreased bone strength and delayed fracture healing.Biodegradable metals that‘biocorrode’are currently attracting significant interest in the orthopedics field due to their suitability as temporary implants.As one of the biodegradable metals,magnesium(Mg)and Mg alloys have gained interest in the field of medicine due to their low density,excellent biocompatibility,high bioresorbability,and proper mechanical properties.Additionally,Mg ions released from the metal implants can promote osteogenesis and angiogenesis during the degradation process in vivo,which is substantially better for orthopedic fixation than other bioinert metal materials.Therefore,this review focuses on the properties,fabrication,biological functions,and surface modification of Mg-based alloys as novel bioabsorbable biomaterials for orthopedic applications.

Preparation and corrosion resistance of superhydrophobic coatings on AZ31 magnesium alloy

In order to improve the corrosion resistance of the Mg alloys, the superhydrophobic coatings on AZ31 Mg alloy wereprepared by a two-step process of micro-arc oxidation treatment and superhydrophobic treatment in stearic acid ethanol solution. Theeffects of voltages, frequencies and treatment time on the contact angle of the superhydrophobic treated sample were investigated.The results showed that with increasing the voltage, frequency and treatment time, all of the contact angles of the superhydrophobictreated sample increased first, and then decreased, reaching the maximum values at 350 V, 1000 Hz and 5 min, respectively. Theoptimal superhydrophobic coating was mainly composed of MgO and Mg2SiO4 phases, with the pore diameter of ～900 nm, thethickness of ～6.86 μm and the contact angle of 156.96°. The corrosion current density of the superhydrophobic AZ31 sampledecreased by three orders of magnitude, and the amount of hydrogen evolution decreased by 94.77% compared with that of the AZ31substrate sample.

Effects of ytterbium addition and heat treatment on the mechanical properties and biocorrosion behaviors of Mg-Zn-Zr alloy

Mechanical properties and biocorrosion behaviors in simulated body fluid(SBF)of newly developed Mg-5.8 Zn-0.5 Zr-x Yb(ZK60-X Yb,x=0,1.0,2.0wt%)magnesium alloys in the solution-treated(T4)and artificially-aged(T6)conditions were investigated.The results of mechanical properties show that with Yb addition,the microhardness and the ultimate tensile strength(UTS)of the tested alloys are significantly increased despite a slight decrease in tensile elongation in both T4 and T6 conditions.Especially,after the T6 treatment,the microhardness and the UTS of the samples were further improved,which was mainly attributed to the precipitation strengthening.The biocorrosion behaviors of the tested alloys were studied using electrochemical examinations and immersion tests.The results indicate that the biocorrosion resistance of the tested alloys is significantly improved by Yb addition in both T4 and T6 conditions.Although the corrosion resistance was slightly deteriorated after T6 treatment,the aged ZK60-2.0 Yb alloy still exhibited a favorable corrosion behavior,which was mainly ascribed to the corrosion barrier effect of a more compact and uniform protective film induced by the dispersed nano-scale precipitates.Electrochemical measurements also confirmed these observations.Given the favorable comprehensive performance in mechanical and biocorrosion behaviors,the T6 treated ZK60-2.0 Yb alloy may be considered as a promising candidate for biomedical applications.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti−Nb−Fe−Zr alloys with high strength and low elastic modulus

Zr was added to Ti−Nb−Fe alloys to develop low elastic modulus and high strengthβ-Ti alloys for biomedical applications.Ingots of Ti−12Nb−2Fe−(2,4,6,8,10)Zr(at.%)were prepared by arc melting and then subjected to homogenization,cold rolling,and solution treatments.The phases and microstructures of the alloys were analyzed by optical microscopy,X-ray diffraction,and transmission electron microscopy.The mechanical properties were measured by tensile tests.The results indicate that Zr and Fe cause a remarkable solid-solution strengthening effect on the alloys;thus,all the alloys show yield and ultimate tensile strengths higher than 510 MPa and 730 MPa,respectively.Zr plays a weak role in the deformation mechanism.Further,twinning occurs in all the deformed alloys and is beneficial to both strength and plasticity.Ti−12Nb−2Fe−(8,10)Zr alloys with metastableβphases show low elastic modulus,high tensile strength,and good plasticity and are suitable candidate materials for biomedical implants.

Microstructures and mechanical behavior of PM Ti-Mo alloy

The effects of the addition of Mo on the densification mechanism, microstructure evolution and mechanical strength of blended elemental powder metallurgy Ti-Mo alloy were investigated in this work. The results show that the addition of Mo hinders the densification of Ti-Mo alloy due to the low diffusion rate of Mo atoms in β-Ti matrix, and the increase of Mo content worsens the sinterability of Ti-Mo alloy. However, the addition of Mo can also refine the microstructure of Ti-Mo alloy greatly, and raising sintering temperature can effectively increase the alloy density without grain coarsening. When neglecting the relative density factor, the addition of Mo refines the microstructure, and improves the mechanical strength by Hall-Petch relationship.

Surface treatment of NiTi shape memory alloy by modified advanced oxidation process

A modified advanced oxidation process(AOP) utilizing a UV/electrochemically-generated peroxide system was used to fabricate titania films on chemically polished NiTi shape memory alloy(SMA). The microstructure and biomedical properties of the film were characterized by scanning electron microscopy(SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS), inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICPMS), hemolysis analysis, and blood platelet adhesion test. It is found that the modified AOP has a high processing effectiveness and can result in the formation of a dense titania film with a Ni-free zone near its top surface. In comparison, Ni can still be detected on the outer NiTi surface by the conventional AOP using the UV/H2O2 system. The depth profiles of O, Ni, Ti show that the film possesses a smooth graded interface structure next to the NiTi substrate and this structure enhances the mechanical stability of titania film. The titania film can dramatically reduce toxic Ni ion release and also improve the hemolysis resistance and thromboresistance of biomedical NiTi SMA.

轧制处理对生物医用Zn-Mg合金组织和性能的影响

采用金相显微镜、X射线衍射仪、扫描电子显微镜、万能材料试验机和电化学工作站等设备,分析和研究了轧制变形对生物医用Zn-Mg合金的显微组织及力学性能的影响。结果表明:铸态、轧制态的合金均由Zn和Mg2Zn11两相组成;在轧制变形过程中,物相未发生改变,抗拉强度逐渐提高,伸长率先提高后降低,耐腐蚀性能逐渐下降;随着轧制变形量的增加,晶粒沿轧制方向的变形程度逐渐增大,直至出现纤维状组织。在相同的退火条件下,轧制变形量越大的Zn-Mg合金,再结晶晶粒尺寸越细小、均匀。

As-cast microstructure and properties of non-equal atomic ratio TiZrTaNbSn high-entropy alloys

High-entropy alloys have been proved to be potential candidate materials in the biomedical field due to their balanced mechanical properties and excellent biocompatibility.The effects of atomic ratios on the as-cast microstructural evolution,mechanical properties,and electrochemical property of TiZrTaNbSn high-entropy alloys were studied systematically.The crystal structure of TiZrTaNbSn high-entropy alloys is single BCC phase,and the microstructural evolution is based on atomic ratio.The dendric structure,peritectic structure,pseudo eutectic and equiaxed grain,which are associated with element segregation,can be obtained by non-equal atomic ratio.Ti_(30)Zr_(20)Ta_(20)Nb_(20)Sn_(10)alloy demonstrates a high compressive strength and fracture strain,which are 2,571.8 MPa and 12%,respectively,and the fracture behavior is quasicleavage faults.The Ti_(45)Zr_(35)Ta_(5)Nb_(5)Sn_(10),Ti_(30)Zr_(20)Ta_(20)Nb_(20)Sn_(10)and Ti_(35)Zr_(25)Ta_(15)Nb_(15)Sn_(10)alloys show excellent corrosion resistance according to Nyquist diagram,polarization curves and corrosion morphology.Compared with TiZrTaNbSn alloy,the corrosion rate of Ti_(45)Zr_(35)Ta_(5)Nb_(5)Sn_(10) alloy increases by about 98.9%.It can be concluded that non-equal atomic ratios are effective for microstructure control and performance optimization.