Abstract
Alloys which are planned to be used for implants fabrication must possess excellent biocompatibility, high strength, and low Young’s modulus. A low elastic modulus, close to that of the cortical bone could significantly reduce the stress-shielding phenomenon usually occurring after surgery. Beta-titanium alloys such as Ti-Nb are good candidates for this purpose. Nb is known as a biocompatible metal used for titanium β-phase stabilization. Previous investigations indicate that the increase of Nb content results in the increase of β phase amount but the decrease of β grain size. In this study, we were aiming at the investigation of the microstructural properties of a titanium alloy manufactured by electron beam melting from the elemental powders mixture of Ti and Nb with 26 at.% of Nb. The influence of operating parameters on the efficacy of dissolving Nb particles in Ti was studied. The results obtained by SEM analysis demonstrated that electron beam energy has a significant effect on the homogeneity of the manufactured specimens. To obtain homogeneous and porosity-free specimens high energy level is required. The microstructure of these specimens was characterized.
Highlights
Titanium and its alloys have been widely used as biomedical materials for segmental bone reconstruction due to their lightweight, high strength, low elastic modulus, good biocompatibility, and corrosion resistance
We were aiming at the investigation of the microstructural properties of a titanium alloy manufactured by electron beam melting from the elemental powders mixture of Ti and Nb with 26 at.% of Nb
In this work, Ti-26Nb alloy was manufactured by electron beam melting from the elemental powders mixture of Ti and Nb using two regimes
Summary
Titanium and its alloys have been widely used as biomedical materials for segmental bone reconstruction due to their lightweight, high strength, low elastic modulus, good biocompatibility, and corrosion resistance. The most widely used material for orthopedic implants fabrication by additive manufacturing is Ti–6Al–4V with two-phase α+β structure, characterized by its high strength and fracture toughness. In order to decrease elastic modulus, Nb is used as β stabilizing element in titanium alloys [3]. % is sufficient for β phase stabilization in the whole volume of a specimen and obtaining low-modulus alloy. The elastic modulus of Ti-Nb alloys manufactured by Fischer et al by selective laser melting (SLM) from a mixture of Ti and Nb elemental powders was about 77 GPa [4].
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