Two novel titanium alloys for medical applications: Thermo-mechanical treatment, mechanical properties, and fracture analysis

Titanium alloys are ideally suited for use in implant or osteosynthesis applications due to their good mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility. In terms of higher strength applications, Ti–6Al–4V and Ti–6Al–7Nb are frequently used. However, both alloys contain the alloying elements aluminum and, in the former case, vanadium, which could have toxic effects on the human body. Therefore, in the present study, two novel, medium- to high-strength titanium alloys, Ti–0.44O–0.5Fe–0.08C–0.4Si–0.1Au and Ti–0.44O–0.5Fe–0.08C–2.0Mo, have been developed on the basis of CP-Titanium Grade 4. They only contain alloying elements, which are either already present in the human body or which are biocompatible. Dedicated thermo-mechanical treatments were developed for both alloys and the resulting mechanical properties were evaluated by tensile and (partly) fatigue tests with subsequent fracture surface analysis. Results reveal that these new alloys show excellent mechanical properties and, therefore, might be a possible alternative for Ti–6Al–4V for use in medical applications. Graphical abstract