Sintering and Morphology of Porous Structure in NiTi Shape Memory Alloys for Biomedical Applications

Abstract

The combination of attractive properties of porous NiTi shape memory alloys like high recoverable strain due to superelasticity and shape memory effect, good corrosion resistance, improved biocompatibilty, low density and stiffness along with its porous structure similar to that of bone make them best materials for biomedical implants. In current study porous NiTi SMAs have been fabricated successfully by space holder technique via pressureless sintering using NaCl powder as a spacer. Various volume fractions of NaCl powders have been involved to study their effect on the pore characteristics as well as on mechanical properties of foam. Porous NiTi with average porosity in the range of 44.3%-63.5% have been fabricated having average pore size 419µm which were very appropriate for various biomedical implants. Porous NiTi SMAs exhibited superelasticity at room temperature and shape memory effect was also determined. Maximum recoverable strain of 6.79% was demonstrated by the porous NiTi alloy with 44.3% porosity and it was diminishing with increasing porosity. Compression strength and elastic modulus have shown a decreasing trend with increasing porosity content. Elastic modulus of porous NiTi extends from 1.38 to 5.42GPa depending upon the pore volume which was very much comparable to that of various kinds of bones.