Fabrication and characterization of Ti-Nb-HA alloy by mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering for hard tissue replacements

Abstract

In the present research work, a β-type Ti-35Nb-10HA alloy was successfully fabricated by mechanical alloying of titanium (Ti), niobium (Nb), and hydroxyaptite (HA) powders followed by consolidation using Spark Plasma Sintering technique. The effect of HA on the microstructure and mechanical properties were studied. The microstructure, surface topography, and element composition of the Ti-Nb-HA alloy was investigated using optical microscope, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The micro-hardness of the specimens was measured on a Vickers hardness tester. The microstructure examination of the compact revealed that the alloy distinctly shows the primary grain boundaries along with secondary grain boundary. It was observed that complex reactions between HA and alloy elements occurred during the sintering process of Ti-35Nb-10HA alloy and biocompatible phases [Ca3(PO4)2, CaTiO3, Nb8P5, CaO, TiP, Nb4O5, and TiO2] were generated in the compact, which is beneficial to form apatite and improved the bioactivity of the alloy for osseiointegartion. The fabricated Ti-35Nb-15HA alloy exhibits maximum micro-hardness (∼786 HV), which is very high value as compared to the alloys reported in literature. Based on these above observations, it is expected that the as-fabricated Ti-35Nb-10HA alloy is suggested for dental and orthopaedic applications.