Recent progress in Ti-based metallic glasses for application as biomaterials

Abstract

Ti-based bulk metallic glasses are of great interest in biomedical applications due to their high corrosion resistance, excellent mechanical properties and good biocompatibility. This article reviews recent progress in the development of Ti-based metallic glasses for the application as biomaterials. Ti-based (Ti-Zr-Cu-Pd, Ti-Zr-Cu-Pd-Sn, and Ti-Zr-Cu-Pd-Nb) bulk metallic glasses without toxic and allergic elements have been developed. These glassy alloys exhibited high glass-forming ability, high strength, large plasticity, good corrosion resistance and excellent biocompatibility, which open possibilities to create Ti-based metallic glass implants. Using a spark plasma sintering process, large-size Ti-based bulk metallic glasses and the composites with hydroxyapatite, as well as porous glassy alloys having approximate Young's modulus with that of bone were developed. © 2013 The Japan Institute of Metals and Materials.