This study attempts to develop Ti-Nb alloys with elastic moduli that approach that of human bone. The experimental results reveal that the microstructure of a Ti-Nb alloy that contains 14 mass% Nb consists of and phases, with phase being the dominant one. The proportion of the phase decreases gradually as the Nb content increases, and the microstructure becomes completely the phase when the Nb content exceeds 34 mass%. Moreover, the ! phase can be detected using XRD and TEM in alloys with a Nb content from 30 to 34 mass%. Over the Nb range studied (14 to 40 mass%), the elastic modulus decreases from 14 to 26 mass% Nb, and then increases to a maximum at 34 mass% Nb, before falling again as Nb content is increased further. The elastic modulus of the Ti-Nb alloys is closely related to the microstructure (or Nb content) of the alloys. The fall in the elastic modulus with the increasing Nb content from 14 to 26 mass% is associated with a gradual decrease in the proportion of the phase in the microstructure, while the precipitation of the ! phase accounts for the increase in the elastic modulus over the intermediate range of Nb (30 to 34 mass%). The tensile strength of Ti-Nb alloys increases slightly from 14 to 26 mass% Nb, and then increases markedly with a Nb content of up to 34 mass%, before falling drastically as Nb content is increased further. A similar pattern was obtained for 0.2% proof stress, while the elongation vs. %Nb curve was just the reverse of the T.S. vs. %Nb curve, as expected. A Ti-Nb alloy with a relatively high Nb content (above 36 mass%) is preferred to other compositions for use in medical implants with a reduced stress shielding effect.
Effects of iron (1 mass%) and hafnium (1-7 mass%) on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti-30Nb base alloys were investigated in this study. Experimental results indicate that the addition of 1 mass% Fe to the Ti-30Nb alloy transforms the original þ þ ! structure into a single phase structure. Accompanying the structure change, both the tensile strength and 0.2% proof stress were reduced by some 15%, while the elastic modulus was reduced from 80 GPa to 68 GPa. Regarding the effect of Hf, precipitation of sporadic ! phase in the otherwise complete phase structure can be detected when hafnium is added. An addition of just 1 mass% Hf to the Ti-30Nb-1Fe alloy increases the tensile strength and 0.2% proof stress by 32% and 27%, respectively, while slightly decreasing the elastic modulus by some 10%. The Ti30Nb-1Fe-1Hf alloy has relatively high strength ($914 MPa T. S.), reasonable ductility ($10% El), and an elastic modulus of around 62 GPa. Consequently, the ratio of 0.2% proof stress to elastic modulus increases moderately. The ratio of 0.2% proof stress to elastic modulus of Ti30Nb-1Fe-1Hf was found to be 1:39 Â 10 À2 , which was around 1.8 times higher than Ti-6Al-4V (0:78 Â 10 À2 ), and around 3.5 times higher than c.p.Ti (0:4 Â 10 À2 ). Hafnium content exceeding 1 mass% gives no further improvement in the ratio of 0.2% proof stress to elastic modulus. From the results obtained here, Ti-30Nb-1Fe-1Hf alloy has excellent potential for orthopedic implant applications.
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