A Novel Titanium Alloy for Additively Manufactured Orthopaedic Implants

Abstract

Most existing implants are inherently limited by the mismatch between the performance of metals and biological bone tissues. Moreover, most common biomedical alloys raise toxicological concerns. In this paper, alloy design is used to find optimal metallic titanium compositions which are bio-compatible and which offer inherent lower modulus of elasticity for optimal bone compliance. The alloys were also optimised for additive manufacturing: alloys with low cracking susceptibility and tendency to form fine microstructures were isolated. An optimal alloy composition was then produced and manufactured by 3D printing. Mechanical experiments on manufactured material under tension reveal the stiffness and strength of the alloy. This work confirms the suitability of the titanium alloy to lower the stiffness of traditional biomedical alloys while being additively manufacturable and strong.