Development of a novel TiNbTa material potentially suitable for bone replacement implants

Abstract

A novel (β + γ)-TiNbTa alloy has been developed by a combined low energy mechanical alloying (LEMA) and pulsed electric current sintering process (PECS). Microstructurally, this material presents interesting characteristics, such as a submicrometric range of particle size, a body-centered phase (β-TiNbTa) and, mainly, a novel facecentered cubic Ti-based alloy (γ-TiNbTa) not previously reported. Related tomechanical performance, the novel (β + γ)-TiNbTa shows a lower E (49 ± 3 GPa) and an outstanding yield strength (σy N 1860 MPa). This combination of original microstructure and properties makes to the (β + γ)-TiNbTa a novel material potentially suitable as biomaterial to fabricate bone replacement implants, avoiding the undesirable and detrimental stressshielding problem and even the usual damage on the mechanical strength of Ti-based foams biomaterials.