ABSTRACT
This study aims to characterize a new Ti-25Ta-25Nb-5Sn alloy for biomedical application. Microstructure, phase formation, mechanical and corrosion properties, along with the cell culture study of the Ti-25Ta-25Nb alloy with Sn content 5 mass% are presented in this article. The experimental alloy was processed in an arc melting furnace, cold worked, and heat treated. For characterization, optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, microhardness, and Young's modulus measurements were employed. Corrosion behavior was also evaluated using open-circuit potential (OCP) and potentiodynamic polarization. In vitro studies with human ADSCs were performed to investigate cell viability, adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. Comparison among the mechanical properties observed in other metal alloy systems, including CP Ti, Ti-25Ta-25Nb, and Ti-25Ta-25-Nb-3Sn showed an increase in microhardness and a decrease in the Young's modulus when compared to CP Ti. The potentiodynamic polarization tests indicated that the corrosion resistance of the Ti-25Ta-25Nb-5Sn alloy was similar to CP Ti and the experiments in vitro demonstrated great interactions between the alloy surface and cells in terms of adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. Therefore, this alloy presents potential for biomedical applications with properties required for good performance.
ABSTRACT
The study of new metallic biomaterials for application in bone tissue repair has improved due to the increase in life expectancy and the aging of the world population. Titanium alloys are one of the main groups of biomaterials for these applications, and beta-type titanium alloys are more suitable for long-term bone implants. The objective of this work was to process and characterize a new Ti10Mo8Nb6Zr beta alloy. Alloy processing involves arc melting, heat treatment, and cold forging. The characterization techniques used in this study were X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, optical microscopy, microhardness measurements, and pulse excitation technique. In vitro studies using adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC) were performed to evaluate the cytotoxicity and cell viability after 1, 4, and 7 days. The results showed that the main phase during the processing route was the beta phase. At the end of processing, the alloy showed beta phase, equiaxed grains with an average size of 228.7 µm, and low Young's modulus (83 GPa). In vitro studies revealed non-cytotoxicity and superior cell viability compared to CP Ti. The addition of zirconium led to a decrease in the beta-transus temperature and Young's modulus and improved the biocompatibility of the alloy. Therefore, the Ti10Mo8Nb6Zr alloy is a promising candidate for application in the biomedical field.