Product Code: ICA12_301

Laser-Assisted Development of New Ti-Mo-Zr Alloys for Biomedical Applications
Authors:
Carole Loable, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Dep. Chemical Engineering and ICEMS-Institute of Materials and Surface Science and Engineering, Technical Univ. of Lisbon; Lisbon Portugal
Amelia Almeida, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Dep. Chemical Engineering and ICEMS-Institute of Materials and Surface Science and Engineering, Technical Univ. of Lisbon; Lisbon Portugal
Rui Vilar, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Dep. Chemical Engineering and ICEMS-Institute of Materials and Surface Science and Engineering, Technical Univ. of Lisbon; Lisbon Portugal
Presented at ICALEO 2012

Laser manufacturing methods are increasingly being used to produce customized implants. In this study, variable powder feed rate laser cladding has been used as a combinatorial method for investigating new alloys. It offers a unique possibility for the rapid and exhaustive preparation of a whole range of alloys with compositions variable along a single clad track. The method was used to produce composition gradient Ti-Mo-Zr alloys. The aim is to produce fully beta-phase alloys with low elastic modulus to minimize stress shielding and bone resorption. Alloy tracks with compositions in the range 0-10 wt.% Mo and 0-30% Zr were produced and characterized as a function of composition using micro-scale testing procedures for screening of compositions with promising properties. Microstructural analysis showed that alloys with Mo and Zr contents above 5% are fully formed of beta-phase. Ultramicroindentation tests showed that Ti-8Mo-26Zr alloys presented low values of hardness and Youngs modulus (75 GPa) that are closer to that of bone than common Ti alloys, thus showing great potential for implant applications.