Processing and properties of Ti-15Zr-15Mo-(1-3)Ag alloys for applications as biofunctional materials

Abstract

Titanium (Ti) is employed as a biomaterial because of its superior biocompatibility and favorable mechanical properties that can be changed with the addition of alloying elements, such as zirconium and molybdenum. Silver is an alloying element recognized for its antibacterial action, which can improve the mechanical strength and decrease Young’s modulus of Ti. This work studies the effect of silver addition (1 and 3 wt%) on the crystalline structure, microstructure, Vickers microhardness and Young’s modulus of Ti-15Zr-15Mo (wt%) alloy, targeting for a potential application as a biofunctional material. The ingots were produced by argon arc melting and subsequently subjected to a heat treatment of homogenization, hot-rolling and solubilization heat treatment. Chemical composition indicated good quality on the processing of the alloy. Crystalline structure and microstructure analyzed by X-ray diffraction, optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy showed only titanium’s β phase. Finally, mechanical properties studied by Vickers microhardness and Young’s modulus measurements presented that the addition of low content of silver did not significantly modify the alloy’s mechanical properties, but it can include antibacterial properties on the bulk.