Abstract
The low modulus β-type Ti alloys usually have peculiar deformation behaviors due to their low phase stability. However, the study of the underlying mechanisms is challenging since some physical mechanisms are fully reversible after the release of the load. In this paper, the deformation behavior of a low modulus β-type Ti36Nb5Zr alloy was investigated with the aid of in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction (SXRD) during tensile loading. The evolution of lattice strains and relative integrated diffraction peak intensities of both the β and α” phases were analyzed to determine the characteristics of the potential deformation mechanisms. Upon loading, the α” diffraction spots appeared at specific azimuth angles of the two-dimensional SXRD patterns due to the <110> fiber texture of original β grains and the selection of favorable martensitic variants. The nonlinear deformation behavior originated from a reversible stress-induced martensitic transformation (SIMT). However, the SIMT contributed a little to the large recoverable strain of over 2.0%, which was dominated by the elastic deformation of the β phase. Various deformation mechanisms were activated successively at different applied strains, including elastic deformation, SIMT and plastic deformation. Our investigations provide in-depth understandings of the deformation mechanisms in β-type Ti alloys with low elastic modulus.
Highlights
Titanium (Ti) and its alloys been used extensively for biomedical applications due to their excellent combined properties of low elastic modulus, high specific strength, excellent corrosion resistance, complete inertness to body environment and superior biocompatibility [1,2]
Metals 2020, 10, 1619 and ostemomalacia [6]. This has led to the development of β-type Ti alloys that consist of non-toxic alloying elements and process lower modulus than that of α- and (α + β)-type Ti alloys [7,8,9]
Our results indicated that the peculiar deformation behavior was closely related to various kinds of deformation mechanisms including elastic deformation, stress-induced martensitic transformation (SIMT) and plastic deformation, which were activated at different external strains
Summary
Titanium (Ti) and its alloys been used extensively for biomedical applications due to their excellent combined properties of low elastic modulus, high specific strength, excellent corrosion resistance, complete inertness to body environment and superior biocompatibility [1,2]. Among the mechanical properties essential for implant materials, elastic modulus, whose value should be as close as possible to that of human bone, is of considerable importance [3]. The elastic modulus of the widely used pure Ti and Ti-6Al-4V is lower (104 GPa and 110 GPa, respectively) than that of other conventional metallic biomaterials such as 316 L stainless steel and cobalt–chromium alloys (higher than 200 GPa), it is still much higher than that of natural human bone (10–30 GPa) [4]. Metals 2020, 10, 1619 and ostemomalacia [6] This has led to the development of β-type Ti alloys that consist of non-toxic alloying elements and process lower modulus than that of α- and (α + β)-type Ti alloys [7,8,9]
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