Novel Ti-based bulk metallic glass free of toxic and noble elements for bio-implant applications

Abstract

The widespread poisonous/precious components (i.e., Ni, Be, Al, Pd, etc.) in Ti-based bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) severely restrict their use for bio-implant applications, yet ironically, Ti-based metallic glasses devoid of these unfavorable components are incredibly tiny in size. Hence, a hazardous and noble elements-free Ti-Zr-Si BMG was created by mechanical alloying (MA) combined with spark plasma sintering (SPS). Furthermore, the influence of ball milling parameters on the amorphization process and relevant formation mechanism of Ti-Zr-Si alloy powder was discussed. By tweaking SPS settings, the new biocompatible Ti-Zr-Si BMG with a porosity of ∼16% demonstrates a compression strength of ∼357 MPa and a Young's modulus of ∼48 GPa, which is comparable to that of human bone. This research provides new possibilities for using Ti-Zr-Si metallic glass in medical equipment.