Mechanical and biological properties of Ti–15%Mo-Cenosphere porous composite sintered by SPS

Abstract

Decreasing the sheath stresses and facilitating osteogenesis are of great interest in the preparation of orthopedic implants. For this reason, the fabrication of porous composite samples based on Ti alloys is of great importance in the medical industry. This research is dedicated to investigating the mechanical and biological properties of porous composite samples prepared by powder metallurgy, space holder technique, and sintering using Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). According to the results obtained, it was found that owing to an increase in the volume percentage of the space holder, the density of the samples decreased while the true porosity percentage of the samples increased. The morphology of the pores formed in the structure was spherical with a uniform distribution. In addition, it was found that the elastic modulus of the sample decreased significantly so that the samples containing >30 vol% cenosphere space holder exhibited properties similar to those of bones. Also, according to the results of the MTT, SBF immersion, and cell adhesion tests, it was concluded that the samples were of high cell viability. Moreover, the growth and proliferation of bone cells and the formation of apatite crystals using these composites were confirmed.