Spark plasma sintering of low modulus titanium-niobium-tantalum-zirconium (TNTZ) alloy for biomedical applications

Abstract

In metallurgy, titanium has been a staple for biomedical purposes. Its slow toxicity and alloying versatility make it an attractive choice for medical applications. However, studies have shown the difference in elastic modulus between titanium alloys (116 GPa) and human bone (10–40 GPa), which contributes to long term issues with loose hardware fixation. Additionally, long term studies have shown elements such as vanadium and aluminum, which are commonly used in Ti-6Al-4V biomedical alloys, have been linked to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer and Parkinson. Alternative metals known to be less toxic are being explored as replacements for alloying elements in titanium alloys. This study will focus on advanced processing and characterization of β-phase titanium alloys for biomedical applications. The microstructure, mechanical, and electrochemical properties of these alloys have been analyzed and compared with C.P. titanium. Bond order B¯O and energy level M¯D approach has been used to design these alloys in order to achieve low elastic modulus. The main objective is to study the effect of different alloying elements on microstructure, phase transformation and mechanical properties of these newly developed low modulus β-phase titanium alloys and establish new avenues for the future development of biocompatible titanium alloys with optimum microstructure and properties.