New Powder Metallurgy Titanium Alloys with Built-In Antibacterial Capability

Abstract

Amongst biomedical metallic materials, titanium alloys are normally used as structural permanent implants due to their favourable combination of mechanical properties and biocompatibility. However, commonly implanted titanium alloys are expensive and, unless purposely surface treated, generally cannot prevent surgical infections related to bacteria. Specifically, bacterial infection in biomedical protheses leads to inflammation, obstruction of the healing process, prevention of osteogenesis and, eventually, premature failure of the implant. This work therefore analysis the development of new ternary Ti-based alloys with built-in antibacterial capability as pathogenic bacterial infection occurring during surgery is a raising issue of metallic biomedical implants. The new Ti-based alloys were designed to be manufactured via powder metallurgy, which permits to successfully produce chemically homogeneous materials, key for a uniform antibacterial response, at lower cost. It is found that, primarily due to the stabilisation of the beta phase, the amount of the selected β stabilising alloying elements directly increases the mechanical performance and the antibacterial capability. Consequently, new ternary Ti-based alloys are promising candidates for structural prosthesis functionalised with antibacterial capability.