Ti 13Nb 13Zr Research Articles

Influence of Anodizing Conditions on Biotribological and Micromechanical Properties of Ti-13Zr-13Nb Alloy.

The biomedical Ti-13Zr-13Nb bi-phase (α + β) alloy for long-term applications in implantology has recently been developed. The porous oxide nanotubes' (ONTs) layers of various geometries and lengths on the Ti-13Zr-13Nb alloy surface can be produced by anodizing to improve osseointegration. This work was aimed at how anodizing conditions determinatine the micromechanical and biotribological properties of the Ti-13Zr-13Nb alloy. First-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), and third-generation (3G) ONT layers were produced on the Ti-13Zr-13Nb alloy surface by anodizing. The microstructure was characterized using SEM. Micromechanical properties were investigated by the Vickers microhardness test under variable loads. Biotribological properties were examined in Ringer's solution in a reciprocating motion in the ball-on-flat system. The 2D roughness profiles method was used to assess the wear tracks of the tested materials. Wear scars' analysis of the ZrO2 ball was performed using optical microscopy. It was found that the composition of the electrolyte with the presence of fluoride ions was an essential factor influencing the micromechanical and biotribological properties of the obtained ONT layers. The three-body abrasion wear mechanism was proposed to explain the biotribological wear in Ringer's solution for the Ti-13Zr-13Nb alloy before and after anodizing.

Phase field simulation of martensitic transformation in Ti–24Nb–4Zr–8Sn alloy

A phase field model for cubic to orthorhombic martensitic transformation (MT) at the nanoscale in a β titanium (Ti) alloy Ti–24Nb–4Zr–8Sn (in wt.%) is investigated by finite element simulation. The approach is based on phase field theory, time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau theory, and mechanical equilibrium equations. Partial differential equations (PDEs) were solved using the commercial software COMSOL Multiphysics. The morphology of the product phase exhibits plate-like or needle-like shapes that reduce the elastic strain energy of the system. The simulation result for random initial order parameters is in agreement with previous experimental observations. The final volume fractions of two different orthorhombic martensitic variants are not dependent on the initial conditions.

Electrochemical behavior, passive film characterization and in vitro biocompatibility of Ti–Zr–Nb medium-entropy alloys

Electrochemical behavior, passive film characterization and in vitro biocompatibility of Ti–Zr–Nb medium-entropy alloys

Assessment of β stabilizers additions on microstructure and properties of as-cast β Ti–Nb based alloys

The novelty of the present work lies in elucidating the correlation of Moeq with mechanical and surface parameters. The Ti–15Nb (TN-15), Ti–40Nb (TN-40), Ti–33Nb–33Zr (TNZ-33), Ti–40Nb–40Zr (TNZ40) and Ti–35Nb–7Zr–5Ta (TNZT) alloys were obtained by casting. The alloys were formed by β-Ti grains with a micrometric morphology, except the as-cast TN-15 alloy formed by α + β. Adding Nb and Zr influenced the lattice parameters of phase β, as well as the crystal structure. Grain size (GS) decreased adding Nb and Zr following this relation: TN-40 > TNZ-33>TNZT > TNZ40. The roughness decreased with rising Nb and Zr contents being in the range of 1.3–3 μm, and it was possible to correlate it with the Moeq. The contact angle and free energy surface values were inversely proportional, and the as-cast TNZ40 alloy with smaller GS was less wettable (60) than TN40 (GS: 1423 μm). The mechanical properties decreased to Moeq of 14.9 wt% then their significantly went above this value, except for the as-cast TN-15 alloy (E: 65 GPa, microhardness: 264 HV) formed mainly by a hardener phase α. Both elastic modulus and microhardness showed the same tendency as the Moeq values and the cell parameter of phase β (aβ). The oxygen content was all in accordance with ASTM E1409-13 for applications as metallic biomaterials being in the range of 0.044–0.195 wt%.

Assessment of Biocompatibility and Physical Properties of Ni–Ti–Zr–Nb Shape Memory Alloys

Assessment of Biocompatibility and Physical Properties of Ni–Ti–Zr–Nb Shape Memory Alloys

Biomechanical Behavior of Narrow Dental Implants Made with Aluminum- and Vanadium-Free Alloys: A Finite Element Analysis.

Titanium (Ti) alloys used for narrow dental implants usually contain aluminum (Al) and vanadium (V) for improved resistance. However, those elements are linked to possible cytotoxic effects. Thus, this study evaluated the biomechanical behavior of narrow dental implants made with Al- and V-free Ti alloys by the finite element method. A virtual model of a partially edentulous maxilla received single implants (diameter: 2.7 and 2.9 mm; length: 10 mm) at the upper lateral incisor area, with respective abutments and porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns. Simulations were performed for each implant diameter and the following eight alloys (and elastic moduli): (1) Ti-6Al-4V (control; 110 GPa), (2) Ti-35Nb-5Sn-6Mo-3Zr (85 GPa), (3) Ti-13Nb-13Zr (77 GPa), (4) Ti-15Zr (113 GPa), (5) Ti-8Fe-5Ta (120 GPa), (6) Ti-26.88Fe-4Ta (175 GPa), (7) TNTZ-2Fe-0.4O (107 GPa), and (8) TNTZ-2Fe-0.7O (109 GPa). The implants received a labially directed total static load of 100 N at a 45° angle relative to their long axis. Parameters for analysis included the maximum and minimum principal stresses for bone, and von Mises equivalent stress for implants and abutments. Ti-26.88Fe-4Ta reaches the lowest maximum (57 MPa) and minimum (125 MPa) principal stress values, whereas Ti-35Nb-5Sn-6Mo-3Zr (183 MPa) and Ti-13Nb-13Zr (191 MPa) models result in the highest principal stresses (the 2.7 mm model surpasses the threshold for bone overload). Implant diameters affect von Mises stresses more than the constituent alloys. It can be concluded that the narrow implants made of the Ti-26.88Fe-4Ta alloy have the most favorable biomechanical behavior, mostly by mitigating stress on peri-implant bone.

ANN-based performance prediction of electrical discharge machining of Ti-13Nb-13Zr alloys

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to predict the machining performance of electrical discharge machining of Ti-13Nb-13Zr (TNZ) alloy, a promising biomedical alloy, using artificial neural networks (ANN) models.Design/methodology/approachIn the research, three major performance characteristics, i.e. the material removal rate (MRR), tool wear rate (TWR) and surface roughness (SR), were chosen for the study. The input parameters for machining were the voltage, current, pulse-on time and pulse-off time. For the ANN model, a two-layer feedforward network with sigmoid hidden neurons and linear output neurons were chosen. Levenberg–Marquardt backpropagation algorithm was used to train the neural networks.FindingsThe optimal ANN structure comprises four neurons in input layer, ten neurons in hidden layer and one neuron in the output layer (4–10-1). In predicting MRR, the 60–20-20 data split provides the lowest MSE (0.0021179) and highest R-value for training (0.99976). On the contrary, the 70–15-15 data split results in the best performance in predicting both TWR and SR. The model achieves the lowest MSE and highest R-value for training in predicting TWR as 1.17E-06 and 0.84488, respectively. Increasing the number of hidden neurons of the network further deteriorates the performance. In predicting SR, the authors find the best MSE and R-value as 0.86748 and 0.94024, respectively.Originality/valueThis is a novel approach in performance prediction of electrical discharge machining in terms of new workpiece material (TNZ alloys).

Structure, Properties, and Corrosion Behavior of Ti-Rich TiZrNbTa Medium-Entropy Alloys with β+α″+α' for Biomedical Application.

Five Ti-rich β+α″+α' Ti-Zr-Nb-Ta biomedical medium-entropy alloys with excellent mechanical properties and corrosion resistance were developed by considering thermodynamic parameters and using the valence electron concentration formula. The results of this study demonstrated that the traditional valence electron concentration formula for predicting phases is not entirely applicable to medium-entropy alloys. All solution-treated samples with homogeneous compositions were obtained at a low temperature (900 °C) and within a short period (20 min). All solution-treated samples exhibited low elastic moduli ranging from 49 to 57 GPa, which were significantly lower than those of high-entropy alloys with β phase. Solution-treated Ti65-Zr29-Nb3-Ta3 exhibited an ultra-high bending strength (1102 MPa), an elastic recovery angle (>30°), and an ultra-low elastic modulus (49 GPa), which are attributed to its α″ volume fraction as high as more than 60%. The pitting potentials of all samples were higher than 1.8 V, and their corrosion current densities were lower than 10-5 A/cm3 in artificially simulated body fluid at 37 °C. The surface oxide layers on Ti65-Zr29-Nb3-Ta3 comprised TiO2, ZrO2, Nb2O5, and Ta2O5 (as discovered through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) and provided the alloy with excellent corrosion and pitting resistance.

The Calculated and Experimental Elastic Properties of Quenched Biocompatible Ti–Nb, Ti–Nb–Zr, Ti–Nb–Zr–Sn, and Ti–Nb–Zr–Sn–Ta Titanium Alloys

The Calculated and Experimental Elastic Properties of Quenched Biocompatible Ti–Nb, Ti–Nb–Zr, Ti–Nb–Zr–Sn, and Ti–Nb–Zr–Sn–Ta Titanium Alloys

Surface film characterizations and electrochemical behavior of type I collagen-immobilized interconnected porous Ti–Nb–Zr–Sn alloy scaffolds in simulated inflammatory environment

Inflammation in the tissue surrounding titanium (Ti)-based alloy implants can lead to increased acidity and the release of reactive oxygen species (e.g., H2O2), which can undermine the corrosion resistance of surface protective films. This study created 3D-printed interconnected porous Ti–24Nb–4Zr–8Sn (Ti2448) alloy scaffolds, over which was applied alkali treatment followed by type I collagen immobilization via natural cross-linker procyanidin. The samples were characterized in terms of polarization curves, surface film characterizations, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis under simulated inflammatory (SI) environment (150 mM H2O2-containing simulated body fluid with pH 5.2). The SI environment was shown to compromise the corrosion resistance of untreated Ti2448 scaffolds. The surface-treated samples presented a dense, homogeneous surface film of mainly TiO2 and Nb2O5, which moderated the adverse effects of SI environment. Electrochemical equivalent circuits of the surface-treated Ti2448 scaffolds under SI environment included two resistor-capacitor (RC) circuits, corresponding to a protective inner film and a less protective outer film. This might be the first study which proposed a unique surface treatment to provide a protective surface film over 3D-printed interconnected porous biomedical Ti2448 alloy scaffolds under SI environment.

Effect of scanning strategy on microstructure and mechanical properties of a biocompatible Ti–35Nb–7Zr–5Ta alloy processed by laser-powder bed fusion

The influence of scanning strategy (SS) on microstructure and mechanical properties of a Ti–35Nb–7Zr–5Ta alloy processed by laser-powder bed fusion (L-PBF) is investigated for the first time. Three SSs are considered: unidirectional-Y; bi-directional with 79° rotation (R79); and chessboard (CHB). The SSs affect the type and distribution of pores. The highest relative densities and more homogeneous distribution of pores are obtained with R79 and CHB scanning strategies, whereas aligned pores are formed in the unidirectional-Y. The SSs show direct influence on the crystallographic texture with unidirectional-Y strategy showing fiber texture. The R79 strategy results in a weak texture and the CHB scanning strategy forms a randomly oriented heterogeneous grain structure. The lowest Young modulus is obtained with the unidirectional-Y strategy, whereas the R79 strategy results in the highest yield strength. It is shown that the SSs may be used for tuning the microstructure of a beta-Ti alloy in L-PBF. Graphical abstract

Microstructure and corrosion resistance of powder metallurgical Ti-Nb-Zr-Mg alloys with low modulus for biomedical application

Due to their bioinert nature, titanium alloys show poor bone-implant integration and insufficient osseointegration in vivo. In this study, a series of low elastic modulus bioactive titanium alloys with a nominal composition of Ti-13Nb-13Zr-1.25 Mg (wt%) were prepared using mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering techniques. The microstructures, mechanical properties, degradation behaviors and in vitro bioactivities of these alloys were systematically investigated. After sintering at 700 °C, the α-Ti, β-Ti and Nb (Zr)-rich phases were present, and the Mg was uniformly distributed. In addition to above-mentioned phases, the α″ phase was found after sintering at 800 °C or 900 °C. The density, elastic modulus, yield strength, ultimate compressive strength and corrosion resistance all increased with increasing sintering temperature. After sintering at 900 °C, the alloy exhibited high density (99.8%), good compressive strength (1417.2 MPa) and excellent corrosion resistance. In addition, it had a lower elastic modulus (~69 GPa) than that of the biomedical alloy Ti–13Nb–13Zr (~80 GPa). In vitro experiments showed that the alloys sintered at either 800 °C or 900 °C promoted cell adhesion and proliferation. However, the alloy sintered at 700 °C inhibited cell proliferation, which was due to the greater release of Mg2+. Thus, the optimally-processed Ti-Nb-Zr-Mg alloy sintered at 900 °C shows immense potential as a biomedical material.

A novel Ti42.5Zr42.5Nb5Ta10 multi-principal element alloy with excellent properties for biomedical applications

Body-centered cubic (BCC) Ti–Zr–Nb–Ta multi-principal element alloys (MPEAs) have drawn extensive research attention as orthopedic implant materials. In this work, a novel Ti42.5Zr42.5Nb5Ta10 multi-principal element alloy was developed for biomedical applications in terms of its microstructure, mechanical properties, wear performance, corrosion behavior, and in vitro biocompatibility. The Ti42.5Zr42.5Nb5Ta10 alloy after cold rolling followed by annealing at 880 °C (TZNT-880), possessed excellent mechanical properties combination, with a yield strength of 839.5 MPa, elongation at fracture of 22.6%, and Young's modulus of 63.2 GPa, superior to most of the currently existing biomedical BCC MPEAs. Meanwhile, TZNT-880 alloy exhibited higher wear resistance compared with commercial CP-Ti and Ti6Al4V, which is strongly related to its high H/E and H3/E2 values. Also, TZNT-880 alloy showed good corrosion resistance, as revealed by a nobler corrosion potential, lower corrosion current densities, and higher passivation stability, which is attributed to the formation of passivation films consisting of TiO2, ZrO2, Nb2O5, and Ta2O5. The in vitro biocompatibility tests demonstrated that the TiZrNbTa alloys can support cell adhesion and proliferation with high biocompatibility comparable to that of CP-Ti and Ti6Al4V, indicating their potential as a candidate for implant material.

Phase Decomposition and Elevated Temperature Mechanical Properties of Zr–Ti–Nb–Ta–Sn Complex Concentrated Alloy Annealed at Intermediate Temperatures

Phase Decomposition and Elevated Temperature Mechanical Properties of Zr–Ti–Nb–Ta–Sn Complex Concentrated Alloy Annealed at Intermediate Temperatures

Change in the Crystallographic Texture of the Martensitic Phase in Superelastic Ti–Zr–Nb Alloys with Increasing Tensile Strain

Change in the Crystallographic Texture of the Martensitic Phase in Superelastic Ti–Zr–Nb Alloys with Increasing Tensile Strain

Effect of Alloying Elements on the Compressive Mechanical Properties of Biomedical Titanium Alloys: A Systematic Review.

Due to problems such as the stress-shielding effect, strength–ductility trade-off dilemma, and use of rare-earth, expensive elements with high melting points in Ti alloys, the need for the design of new Ti alloys for biomedical applications has emerged. This article reports the effect of various alloying elements on the compressive mechanical performance of Ti alloys for biomedical applications for the first time as a systematic review following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines on this subject. The search strategy in this systematic review used Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed databases and searched the articles using (Beta-type OR β) AND Titanium AND (Mechanical property OR Microstructure) AND Alloying element keywords. Original articles from 2016 to 2022 published in English have been selected for this study as per the inclusion criteria. The results have shown that Nb can be used as the primary alloying element with Ti as it is a strong β-stabilizer element which also reduces the elastic modulus of Ti alloys. The β-eutectic elements (Fe, Cr, and Mn) have also emerged as cost-effective alloying elements that could improve the mechanical performance of Ti alloys. Ti–Nb–Zr–Ta alloyed with Si has shown potential to withstand the strength–ductility trade-off dilemma. The combination of a Ti–Nb binary alloy has emerged as an attractive material for designing low elastic modulus Ti alloys. The mechanical performance of the Ti–Nb alloy can be further improved using the β-eutectic (Fe, Cr, and Mn) and neutral (Zr, Sn) elements to be alloyed with a Ti–Nb binary alloy. The strength–ductility trade-off issue can be overcome using Si as an alloying element in Ti–Nb–Zr–Ta alloys.

A metastable Ti–Zr–Nb–Al multi-principal-element alloy with high tensile strength and ductility

How to improve the plasticity of body-centered cubic (BCC) multi-principal element alloys (MPEAs) is still a challenging task. Inspired by the strategies of transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) and twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP), different amount of Al is added to Ti58Zr34Nb8 base alloy to tailor the mechanical property. It is revealed that the resultant Ti52Zr34Nb8Al6 alloy has an extraordinary tensile strain of 35%, while maintaining a high yield strength of 810 MPa and an ultimate tensile strength of 962 MPa. Microstructural investigations indicate that the excellent comprehensive mechanical properties can be ascribed to the stress-induced martensite transformation (SIMT) and subsequent hierarchical deformation twinning activated in the SIM. This study not merely provides a low-density structural material with outstanding strength-toughness combination, but also opens a window for developing novel alloys with attractive mechanical properties.

β duplex phase Ti–Zr–Nb–Ag alloys with impressive mechanical properties, excellent antibacterial and good biocompatibility

In this research, a new series of β duplex phase Ti50Zr25Nb25-xAgx (x = 0, 1, 3 and 5 at. %) alloys were prepared by rapid solidification process. The microstructure, mechanical properties, antibacterial properties, ion release behavior and biocompatibility of the alloys were systematically investigated. The alloys were composed of β main phase and β minor phase, therefor the alloys exhibited a very low Young's modulus of 60-61 GPa, which can effectively reduce the stress shielding effect. The alloys possessed high strength and hardness, which is correlated to the grain refinement strengthening caused by rapid solidification process and solid solution strengthening caused by the addition of Ag. The release of Ag ion increased with the increasing of Ag content. The antibacterial properties also showed the same trend and the Ag5 alloy exhibited 99.1% antibacterial rate. Meanwhile, the alloys possessed good biocompatibilities obtained through cell live and dead staining experiments and cell proliferation experiments.

Microstructure and mechanical properties evolution during thermomechanical processing of a Ti–Nb–Zr–Ta–Sn–Fe alloy

During the last decades, Titanium-based alloys have shown a suitable combination of strength, ductility, corrosion and biocompatibility properties, that marks them as suitable implant materials for biomedical applications. In this study, a Ti–30Nb–12Zr–5Ta–2Sn-1.25Fe (wt%) alloy was produced by melting in a cold crucible induction in levitation furnace, deformed by cold rolling, with a total deformation degree (thickness reduction) of 50%, in five equal steps, and solution treated at 850 °C, with progressive treatment durations, from 5min to 20min, in 5min increments. The initial microstructure is homogenous, consisting of equiaxed β-Ti phase grains showing an average grain size close to 135 μm. The applied cold deformation induces changes in the microstructure, which shows the presence of deformation bands, twins, dislocation bands and of an increased crystal defects density and residual strain–stress fields. Also, an increase in strength and decrease in ductility properties are noticed due to the strain hardening. The applied solution treatment leads to the regeneration of the microstructure, the obtained microstructure showing homogeneous equiaxed β-Ti phase grains, with an average grain size between 60 μm and 80 μm, depending on the solution treatment duration. Also, a decrease in strength and increase in ductility properties are noticed due to the lowering of the crystal defects density, remanent strain–stress fields and an increase of the average grain size.

Nanostructured Ti–13Nb–13Zr for dental implant applications produced by severe plastic deformation

AbstractNanostructured titanium plays an important role in biomedical applications, especially in dentistry, as the nanostructured surface promotes bone cell growth and simultaneously prevents bacterial colonization. Nanostructured microstructures can be obtained through Severe Plastic Deformation processes. In this paper, thermomechanical processing via Equal Channel Angular Swaging for the continuous production of nanocrystalline Ti–13Nb–13Zr (TNZ) is investigated with respect to applications in dental implantology. TNZ is a second-generation β-rich (α + β) medical alloy which can consist of the three phases α- and β-phase as well as αʺ-martensite. The αʺ-martensite has a very low Young’s modulus and a comparably low strength with high ductility allowing metal forming even at low temperatures. By adjusting different phase volume fractions, a wide range of mechanical properties can be realized, especially Young’s modulus between 50 and 90 GPa at a yield strength exceeding 950 MPa making it an ideal material for dental implants and abutments. Graphical abstract