Microstructure and corrosion characterization of a Ti-30Zr alloy with Ta additions processed by arc-melting for biomedical applications

•Important microstructural changes were caused by the Ta addition to Ti-30Zr alloys.•Microhardness enhancement of the Ti-30Zr alloy was attained by solid-solution of Ta.•The corrosion resistance of the Ti-30Zr alloy was notable improved by the Ta addition. In this work, the microstructural, hardness, and corrosion response of a series of Ti-30Zr alloys with Ta additions (0–5 at.%) were studied. The microstructural analysis performed by XRD and FE-SEM-EDS confirmed the β-Ti and β-Zr stabilization for samples with lower additions of Ta, while a martensitic transformation was detected for those with higher additions. Electrochemical and microhardness experiments showed that the Ti-30Zr-xTa alloys exhibited better corrosion resistance and microhardness as compared to the Ti-30Zr alloy, especially for the sample with 3 at.% Ta addition.