In vitro Biological Effects of Ti2448 Alloy Modified by Micro-arc Oxidation and Alkali Heatment

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that the combination of micro-arc oxidation and alkali heatment (MAH) would improve the cytocompatibility of a newly designed Ti-24Nb-4Zr-8Sn alloy.In this study,commercially pure titanium (cp Ti) and Ti-24Nb-4Zr-8Sn were used.Surface modification of Ti-24Nb4Zr-8Sn by a two-step treatment of micro-arc oxidation (MAO) and alkali heatment was reported.Surface characterizations were performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM),thin film X-ray diffraction (TF-XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).The MAH layer consisted of finer crystals and possessed a higher degree of crystallity and stability than the MAO layer.A biocompatibility study on treated and untreated Ti24Nb-4Zr-8Sn in comparison with cp Ti was carried out to investigate the effect of the different surfaces on the bone integration property in vitro.The cellular assays revealed that the MAO and MAH layer favored the initial adhesion of MC3T3-E1 cells and that the growth rate of MC3T3-E1 cells on MAH layer was significantly higher than that on the conventional MAO-treated layer after 3-day and 5-day incubation,demonstrating the greater potential of the hybrid treatment of micro-arc oxidation followed with alkali heatment as a novel surface modification method for implanting materials.     

Precipitates and alloying elements distribution in nearαtitanium alloy Ti65

Precipitates,including silicides and Ti3 Al(α2)phase,and alloying elements distribution in a near a titanium alloy Ti65(Ti-5.8 Al-4.0 Sn-3.5 Zr-0.5 Mo-0.3 Nb-1.0 Ta-0.4 Si-0.8 W-0.05 C)after solution treatment and aging process were characterized by using transmission electron microscopy(TEM)and atom probe tomography(APT).Quantitative composition analysis and TEM observation indicate that the silicides fit to(Ti,Zr)6(Sl,Sn)3.Zr exhibits aβ-stabilizing effect in near a titanium alloys but is weaker than otherβstabilizing elements.The enriching tendency of the alloying elements in the retainedβphase is in the order of Zr相似文献   

Effect of Sputtered TiAICr Coatings on Oxidation and Hot Corrosion Resistance of Ti-24Al-14Nb-3V

The effect of sputtered Ti-50Al-10Cr and Ti-50Al-20Cr coatings on both isothermal and cyclic oxidation resistance at 800～900°C and hot corrosion resistance at 850°C of Ti-24Al-14Nb3V was investigated. Results indicated that Ti-24Al-14Nb-3V alloys exhibited poor oxidation resistance due to the formation of Al2O3+TiO2+AlNbO4 mixed scales in air at 800～900°C and poor hot corrosion resistance due to the spallation of scales formed in Na2SO4+K2SO4 melts at 850°C. Both Ti-S0Al-10Cr and Ti-50Al-20Cr coatings remarkably improved the oxidation and hot corrosion resistance of Ti-24Al-14Nb-3V alloy.     

A New Approach for Manufacturing a High Porosity Ti-6Al-4V Scaffolds for Biomedical Applications

Titanium and its alloys are currently considered as one of the most important metallic materials used in the biomedical applications, due to their excellent mechanical properties and superior biocompatibility. In the present study, a new effective method for fabricating high porosity titanium alloy scaffolds was developed. Porous Ti-6Al-4V scaffolds are successfully fabricated with porosities ranging from 30% to 70% using spaceholder and powder sintering technique. Based on its acceptable properties, spherical carbamide particles with different diameters （0.56, 0.8, and 1mm） were used as the space-holder material in the present investigation. The Ti-6Al-4V scaffolds porosity is characterized by using scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the scaffolds spherical-shaped pores are depending on the shape, size and distribution of the space-holder particles. This investigation shows that the present new manufacturing technique is promising to fabricate a controlled high porosity and high purity Ti-6Al-4V scaffolds for hard tissue replacement.     

Ultraviolet-accelerated formation of bone-like apatite on oxidized Ti-24Nb-4Zr-7.9Sn alloy

A novel method has been developed to rapidly deposit bone-like apatite with the assistance of ultraviolet （UV） light irradiation on the nanostructured titania in the simulated body fluid （SBF）. The process has three main steps： Ti-24Nb-4Zr-7.9Sn alloy was heated at 650℃ for 3 h, UV-light illumination in air for 4 h and soaking in the SBF for 3 d. A titania coating consisted of main rutile formed on the thermal oxidized Ti-24Nb-4Zr- 7.9Sn alloy. The UV not only converted the futile surface from hydrophilic to hydrophobic but also stimulated high surface activity. After 4 h UV illumination, the contents of Ti3＋ and hydroxyl groups on the oxidized sample were increased, while that of lattice O decreased. After 3 d of soaking in the SBF, a compact and uniform layer of carbonated hydroxyapatite （CHA） particles was formed on the UV-illuminated rutile surface whereas there was a few of HA to be viewed on the surface of as-oxidized Ti-24Nb-4Zr-7.9Sn alloy. Our study demonstrates a simple, fast and cost-effective technique for growing bone-like apatite on titanium alloys.     

Diffusion Bonding of Dissimilar Intermetallic Alloys Based on Ti_2AlNb and TiAl

Direct diffusion bonding of an orthorhombic Ti 2 AlNb base alloy to a TiAl base alloy, Ti-22Al-23Nb-2Ta and Ti-46.2Al-2Cr-2Nb-0.15B (at. pct), was carried out and the interface microstructure, formation of new phase at the interface and joint strength were characterized. At low temperature, a new phase with AlNb 2-structure, Al(Nb, Ti) 2 , was formed in the interface region adjacent to the O base alloy. The α 2 was found to be the major reaction product and developed in the interface region adjacent to the ...     

Effect of Si3N4 Addition on the Mechanical Properties, Microstructures, and Wear Resistance of Ti-6Al-4V Alloy

In order to improve the wear resistance of Ti-6Al-4V, different amounts of Si3N4 powder were added into the alloy powder and sintered at 1250℃. Porous titanium alloy with higher wear resistance was successfully fabricated. At sintering temperature, reaction took place and a new hard phase of Ti5Si3 formed. The mechanical properties of the fabricated alloys with different amounts of Si3N4 addition were investigated. The hardness of Ti-6Al-4V, which is the index of wear resistance, was increased by the addition of Si3N4. Amounts of Si3N4 addition have very significant influences on hardness and compressive strength. In present study,titanium alloy with 5 wt pct Si3N4 addition has 62% microhardness and 45% overall bulk hardness increase,respectively. In contrast, it has a 16.4% strength reduction. Wear resistance was evaluated by the weight loss during wear test. A new phase of Ti5Si3 was detected by electron probe microanalyzer （EPMA） and X-ray diffraction （XRD） method. The original Si3N4 decomposed during sintering and transformed into titanium silicide. Porous structure was achieved due to the sintering reaction.     

Effect of Elastic Modulus on Biomechanical Properties of Lumbar Interbody Fusion Cage

This work focuses on the influence of elastic modulus on biomechanical properties of lumbar interbody fusion cages by selecting two titanium alloys with different elastic modulus.They were made by a new β type alloy with chemical composition of Ti-24Nb-4Zr-7.6Sn having low Young's modulus ～50 GPa and by a conventional biomedical alloy Ti-6Al-4V having Young's modulus ～110 GPa.The results showed that the designed cages with low modulus (LMC) and high modulus (HMC) can keep identical compression load ～9.8 kN and endure fatigue cycles higher than 5× 106 without functional or mechanical failure under 2.0 kN axial compression.The anti-subsidence ability of both group cages were examined by axial compression of thoracic spine specimens (T9～T10) dissected freshly from the calf with averaged age of 6 months.The results showed that the LMC has better anti-subsidence ability than the HMC (p<0.05).The above results suggest that the cage with low elastic modulus has great potential for clinical applications.     

Annealed microstructure dependent corrosion behavior of Ti-6Al-3Nb-2Zr-1 Mo alloy

Corrosion resistance of titanium(Ti)alloys is closely connected with their microstructure which can be adjusted and controlled via different annealing schemes.Herein,we systematically investigate the specific effects of annealing on the corrosion performance of Ti-6 Al-3 Nb-2 Zr-1 Mo(Ti80)alloy in 3.5 wt.%NaCl and 5 M HCl solutions,respectively,based on open circuit potential(OCP),potentiodynamic polarization,electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS),static immersion tests and surface analysis.Results indicate that increasing annealing tempe rature endows Ti80 alloy with a higher volume fraction ofβphase and finerαphase,which in turn improves its corrosion resistance.Surface characterization demonstrates thatβphase is more resistant to corrosion thanαphase owing to a higher content of Nb,Mo,and Zr in the former;additionally,the decreased thickness of a phase alleviates segregation of elements to further restrain the micro-galvanic couple effects betweenαandβphases.Meanwhile,the influential mechanisms of environmental conditions on corrosion of Ti80 alloy are discussed in detail.As the formation of a highly compact and stable oxide film on surface,annealed Ti80 alloys exhibit a low corrosion current density(10^-6A/cm²)and high polarization impedance(10⁶Ω·cm²)in 3.5 wt.%NaCl solution.However,they suffer severe corrosion in 5 M HCl solution,resulting from the breakdown of native oxide films(the conversion of TiO₂to aqueous Ti³⁺),active dissolution of substrate Ti to aqueous Ti³⁺and existence of micro-galvanic couple effects.Those findings could provide new insights to designing Ti alloys with high-corrosion resistance through microstructural optimization.     

Microstructures and Tensile Properties of Isothermally-forgedTi-47Al-2Nb-1Cr-1V and Ti-47Al-2V-1Cr Alloys

Microstructures and room-temperature tensile properties of isothermally-forged γ-base (γ + α2)alloys in Ti-Al-Nb-Cr-V system with different heat treatments were investigated. The results show that the microstructures of Ti-47Al-2Nb-1Cr-1V and Ti-47Al-2V-1Cr (at. pct) alloys are mainly determined by heat treating temperature in the (cr + 7) tWo-phase field, and the joint additions of Nb, Cr and V in the Ti-47Al alloy afFect Ta significantIy. The microstructure of Ti-47Al alloy with additions of Nb, Cr and V (1~2 at. pct) can be dupIex or nearly-lamellar by a suitable heat treatment after isothermal forging at 1000℃ for over 50% plastic strains.Therefore its tensile properties can be improved at room temperature.     

Promoting Bone Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Inhibiting Bacterial Adhesion of Acid-Etched Nanostructured Titanium by Ultraviolet Functionalization

Titanium(Ti) and its alloys are used extensively in orthopedic implants because of their excellent biocompatibility,mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. However,titanium-based implant materials face many severe complications,such as implant loosening due to poor osseointegration and bacterial infections,which may lead to implant failure. Hence,preparing a biomaterial surface,which enhances the interactions with host cells and inhibits bacterial adhesion,may be an optimal strategy to reduce the incidence of implant failure. This study aims to improve osseointegration and confer antibacterial properties on Ti through a combination of two surface modifications including nanostructuring generated by acid etching and ultraviolet(UV) light treatment.Our results showed that without UV treatment,the acid etching treatment of Ti surface was effective at both improving the adhesion of bone mesenchymal stem cells(BMSCs) and increasing bacterial adhesion. A further UV treatment of the acid-etched surface however,not only significantly improved the cell adhesion but also inhibited bacterial adhesion. The acid-etched nanostructured titanium with UV treatment also showed a significant enhancement on cell proliferation,alkaline phosphatase(ALP) activity and mineralization. These results suggest that such nanostructured materials with UV treatment can be expected to have a good potential in orthopedic applications.     

Improvement of Ductility of Powder Metallurgy Titanium Alloys by Addition of Rare Earth Element

Ti-4.5Al-6.0Mo-1.5Fe, Ti-6Al-1Mo-1Fe and Ti-6Al-4V alloys were prepared by blended elemental powder metallurgy （PM） process, and the effects of Nd on the microstructures and mechanical properties were investigated by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM） and X-ray diffraction （XRD）. It was found out that the addition of Nd increased the density of sintered titanium alloys slightly by a maximum increment of 1% because small amount of liquid phase occurred during sintering. The addition of Nd shows little effect on the improvement of tensile strength, while the elongation is significantly improved. For example, the elongation of Ti-4.SAl-6.0Mo-1.5Fe can be increased from 1% without addition of Nd to 13% at a Nd content of 1.2 wt pct.     

Fractal in Fatigue Fractography

Fracture profile roughnesses and fractal dimensionsof fracture traces were measured on a fatigued Ti-6Al-4Valloy.It is found that although fractal dimension can wellreflect the variation of fracture traces with the measuringunits,it is difficult to apply it to quantitative analysis offractured surfaces because of the dependence of the meas-ured profile roughness on the measuring units.Based onfractal concept.an alternative equationlgR_l(η)=lgR_o-(D-1)lgη was obtained.in which we intro-duced a parameter of intrinsic profile roughness to evalu-ate fracture profile roughness without restriction of themeasuring units employed.     

Effect of Heat Treatment on Cu Distribution,Antibacterial Performance and Cytotoxicity of Ti-6Al-4V-5Cu Alloy

A copper-bearing Ti-6AI-4V-5Cu alloy was processed and subjected to different heat treatments to explore the relationship among microstructure,antibacterial performance,and cytocompatibility.Characterization of microstructure revealed that the solution treated alloy consisted of α phase,α' phase and(3 phase,while besides these phases,the aged alloy also contained the precipitations of intermetallic Ti_2Cu compound.The solution treated alloy showed better antibacterial performance with increasing the solution temperature.The Cu ions released from Ti—6AI—4V—5Cu alloy could effectively inhibit the formation of bacterial biofilm on the surface of alloy,and do not induce any cytotoxicity.The optimal heat treatment for Ti-6Al-4V-5Cu alloy was solution treated at 930 C,at which it could exhibit both promising antibacterial performance and no cytotoxicity.     

A Comparative in vitro Study on Biomedical Zr-2.5X(X=Nb,Sn) Alloys

Nb and Sn are major alloying elements in Zr alloys.In this study,the microstructure,mechanical properties,corrosion behavior,cytocompatibility and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) compatibility of Zr-2.5X(X = Nb,Sn) alloys for biomedical application are comparatively investigated.It is found that Zr—2.5Nb alloy has a duplex structure of α and β phase and Zr—2.5Sn alloy is composed of 7.phase.Both separate addition of Nb and Sn can strengthen Zr but Nb is more effective in strengthening Zr than Sn.The studied Zr—2.5X(X = Nb,Sn) alloys show improved corrosion resistance compared to pure Zr as indicted by the decreased corrosion current density.The alloying addition of Nb enhances the pitting resistance of Zr,whereas the addition of Sn decreases the pitting resistance of Zr.The extracts of Zr—2.5X alloys produce no significant deleterious effect on fibroblast cells(L-929) and osteoblast-like cells(MG 63),indicating good in vitro cytocompatibility.The Zr—2.5X(X = Nb,Sn) alloys show decreased magnetic susceptibility compared to pure Zr and their magnetic susceptibility is far lower than that of pure Ti and Ti—6AI—4V alloy.Based on these facts,Zr-2.5Nb alloy is more suitable for implant material than Zr-2.5Sn alloy.Sn is not suitable as individual alloying addition for Zr because Sn addition decreases the pitting resistance in physiological solution.     

Influence of α/β interface phase on the tensile properties of laser cladding deposited Ti–6Al–4V titanium alloy

Laser cladding deposited Ti–6Al–4V titanium alloy universally shows more complex microstructures,each of which has significant effect on mechanical properties. Of particular α/β interface phase has been observed in this paper under certain conditions. It demonstrates that the influence of the α/β interface phase on the tensile properties is closely associated with dislocations and twin substructure through comparison experiments. The results show that the α/β interface phase hinders dislocation motion and decreases effective slip length. In addition, the twin substructure has been activated in the α/β interface phase during tensile process and has acted somehow like grain boundaries. Therefore, the strength and the work-hardening rate of the laser cladding deposited Ti–6Al–4V titanium alloy have been significantly improved due to the dynamic Hall–Petch effect. Besides, the α/β interface phase leads to more uniform dislocations distribution, which implies that relative lower local concentrated stress will be produced along the α/β interface phase or colony boundary after the same amount of plastic deformation. Moreover,the twinning-induced plasticity effects in the α/β interface phase further increase the plastic deformation capacity. These results in higher elongation for the laser cladding deposited Ti–6Al–4V titanium alloy.It can be concluded that the current work suggests an effective method to simultaneously improve the strength and plasticity of laser cladding deposited Ti–6Al–4V titanium alloy based on the α/β interface phase.     

Effect of Amino-,Methyl- and Epoxy-Silane Coupling as a Molecular Bridge for Formatting a Biomimetic Hydroxyapatite Coating on Titanium by Electrochemical Deposition

The objective of this study was to determine the role of functional groups of silane coupling on bioactive titanium(Ti) surface by electrochemical deposition, and calcium phosphate(CaP) coating, as well as bone cell adhesion and proliferation. Methyl group(—CH_3), amino group(—NH_2), and epoxy group(—glyph name—C(O)C) were introduced onto the bioactive Ti surface using self-assembled monolayers(SAMs)with different silane coupling agents as molecular bridges. The effect of the surface functional groups on the growth features of the CaP crystals was analyzed(including chemical compositions, element content,minerals morphology and crystal structure etc.). CH_3- terminated SAMs showed a hydrophobic surface and others were hydrophilic by contact angle measurement; NH_2-terminated SAMs showed a positive charge and others were negatively charged using zeta-potential measurement. Scanning electron microscopy results confirmed that flower-like structure coatings consisting of various pinpoint-like crystals were formatted by different functional groups of silane coupling, and the CaP coatings were multicrystalline consisting of hydroxyapatite(HA) and precursors. Ca P coating of CH_3- terminated SAMs exhibited more excellent crystallization property as compared to coatings of —NH_2 and —C(O)C groups. In vitro MC3T3-E1 cells adhesion and proliferation were performed. The results showed that CaP coatings on silane coupling functionalized surfaces supported cell adhesion and proliferation. Thus, these functional groups of silane coupling on Ti can form homogeneous and oriented nano-CaP coatings and provide a more biocompatible surface for bone regeneration and biomedical applications.     

Diffusion Bonding of Ti_3Al Base Alloy

: The effects of diffusion bonding temperature and holding time on the joint strength of Ti3Al base alloy has been investigated in this paper. The shear strength of Ti-14Al-21Nb-3Mo-V alloy diffusion bonding joint under pressure of 12 MPa at 990℃ for 70 min was obtained to 797.6 MPa which approaches the base material strength. In addition, a short-time diffosion bonding process was studied in order to decrease the bonding cost. With the deformation of the specimens of 2.5% and the bonding temperature of 990℃ for 15 min, the bonding strength could reach 801 MPa.     

Joining of Zirconia and Ti-6Al-4V Using a Ti-based Amorphous Filler

Polycrystalline ZrO2-3 mol.%Y2O3 was brazed to Ti-6Al-4V by using a Ti47Zr28Cu14Ni11(at.%) amorphous ribbon at 1123-1273 K in a high vacuum. The influences of brazing temperature on the microstructure and shear strength of the joints were investigated. The interfacial microstructures can be described as ZrO2/TiO+TiO2+Cu2Ti4O+Ni2Ti4O/α-Ti+(Ti,Zr)2(Cu,Ni) eutectic/acicular Widmanst¨aten structure/Ti-6Al-4V alloy. With the increase in the brazing temperature, the thickness of the TiO+TiO2+Cu2Ti4O+Ni2Ti4O layer reduced, the content of the α-Ti+(Ti,Zr)2(Cu,Ni) eutectic phase decreased, while that of the coarse α-Ti phase gradually increased. The shear strength of the joints did not show a close relationship with the thickness of the TiO+TiO2+Cu2Ti4O+Ni2Ti4O layer. However, when the coarse (Ti,Zr)2(Cu,Ni) phase was non-uniformly distributed in the α-Ti phase, or when α-Ti solely situated at the center of the joint, forming a coarse block or even connecting into a continuous strip, the shear strength greatly decreased.     

Effect of fluoride on the corrosion behavior of nanostructured Ti-24Nb-4Zr-8Sn alloy in acidulated artificial saliva

The surface of titanium dental implants is highly susceptible to aggressive fluoride ions in the oral environment. Nanotechnology has proven an effective approach to improve the stability and corrosion resistance of titanium by applying a passive film. In this study, we investigated the effects of fluoride on the corrosion behavior of nanostructured(NS) Ti-24 Nb-4 Zr-8 Sn(Ti2448) alloy in acidulated artificial saliva(AAS)at 37 ℃, and then conducted comparisons with its coarse grained(CG) counterpart. Electrochemical techniques, such as potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS), as well as surface analysis including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) with argon ion sputtering, and scanning electronic microscopy(SEM) were employed to evaluate the effects of fluoride on sensitivity to pitting and the tolerance of Ti2448 to fluoride in AAS solution. The results demonstrate that corrosion current density increased with F-concentration. In all respects, the NS Ti2448 alloy presented corrosion resistance superior to that of its coarse grained(CG) counterpart at low F-concentrations(0.1%).Furthermore, a high content of F-(1%) was shown to promote the active dissolution of both alloys by increasing the rate of corrosion. Following immersion in the fluoridated AAS solution for 60 days, a tissuefriendly compound, Ca_3(PO_4)_2, was detected on the surface of the NS when F-= 0.01% and Na_2 TiF_6 was identified as the main component in the corrosion products of the CG as well as NS Ti2448 alloys when F-= 1%. High concentrations of F-produced pitting corrosion on the CG alloy, whereas NS Ti2448 alloy presented general corrosion in the form of lamellar separation under the same conditions. These findings demonstrate the superior corrosion resistance of the NS Ti2448 alloy as well as lower pitting sensitivity and higher tolerance to fluoride due mainly to grain refinement.