A novel TiZrNb medium entropy alloy (MEA) with appropriate elastic modulus for biocompatible materials

Abstract

A simple equiatomic TiZrNb medium entropy alloy (MEA) for biocompatible materials was designed by mismatch-parameter-related strengthening and prepared by arc melting. Then the alloy was cold rolled with different single pass reductions and finally annealed. All samples including as-cast, cold-rolled and annealed TiZrNb MEAs possessed BCC structure, exhibiting elastic modulus of 72 ± 3 GPa under tensile, closer to that of human bone than Ti6Al4V. The samples treated by different rolling processes had yield strength of 910 ± 25 MPa and 1060 ± 21 MPa respectively, higher than 830 ± 21 MPa of as-cast sample. Their strength decreased and the elongation increased after annealed, and an obvious work hardening caused by fine-grain strengthening appeared in tensile deformation. Furthermore, electrochemical behavior exhibited that corrosion resistance of samples were equivalent to that of Ti6Al4V in PBS. In a summary, the new TiZrNb MEAs with great mechanical properties, lower elastic modulus and good corrosion resistance has great potential in biomedical field.