Limits of powder metallurgy to fabricate porous Ti35Nb7Zr5Ta samples for cortical bone replacements

The use of β-Titanium alloys to fabricate metal implants with Young's modulus that resembles bone tissues is presented as an alternative to commercially pure titanium or α-Titanium alloys, although it is still necessary to introduce proper implant porosity to reach the Young's modulus of c...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Rodríguez-Albelo, Luisa Marleny, Navarro González, Paula, Gotor Martínez, Francisco José, Rosa Melián, Julio Ernesto de la, Mena Torres, Danaysi, García-García, Francisco J., Beltrán, Ana M., Alcudia Cruz, Ana, Torres Hernández, Yadir
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2023
Country:España
Institution:Universidad de Sevilla (US)
Repository:idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla
OAI Identifier:oai:idus.us.es:11441/145641
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/11441/145641
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2023.04.212
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Loose sintering
β-titanium alloy
TiNbZrTa
Porous materials
Powder metallurgy
Tribomechanical behavior
Description
Summary:The use of β-Titanium alloys to fabricate metal implants with Young's modulus that resembles bone tissues is presented as an alternative to commercially pure titanium or α-Titanium alloys, although it is still necessary to introduce proper implant porosity to reach the Young's modulus of cortical bones. In this work, porous samples were fabricated by loose sintering (0 MPa) and compared to samples manufactured at 1000 MPa, both sintered under the same conditions. Raw powders and sintered samples of the β-Titanium alloy, Ti35Nb7Zr5Ta, were characterized in detail in terms of both physicochemical and microstructural properties. Moreover, the tribo-mechanical behavior of sintered samples was evaluated by performing ultrasound technique, instrumented micro-indentation (P-h curves), and scratch tests. The bio-functional behavior was studied by impedance spectroscopy and contact angle measurements. The results allowed the evaluation of the limits of conventional powder metallurgy (percentage of porosity, size, and morphology of pores), as well as the influence of the porosity and chemical composition to achieve a better biomechanical and bio-functional behavior that would guarantee bone requirements. The Ti35Nb7Zr5Ta alloy showed relatively high electrical impedance values compared to commercially pure titanium, indicating an improved bio-corrosion behavior. Furthermore, wettability measurements indicated that porous disks fabricated by loose sintering exhibit higher hydrophilicity, often associated with a better antibacterial response.