Mechanical and Corrosion Properties of Laser Surface-Treated Ti13Nb13Zr Alloy with MWCNTs Coatings

Abstract

Titanium and its alloys is the main group of materials used in prosthetics and implantology. Despite their popularity and many advantages associated with their biocompatibility, these materials have a few significant disadvantages. These include low biologic activity—which reduces the growth of fibrous tissue and allows loosening of the prosthesis—the possibility of metallosis and related inflammation or other allergic reactions, as well as abrasion of the material during operation. Searching for the best combinations of material properties for implants in today′s world is not only associated with research on new alloys, but primarily with the modification of their surface layers. The proposed laser modification of the Ti13Nb13Zr alloy with a carbon nanotube coating is aimed at eliminating most of the problems mentioned above. The carbon coating was carried out by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) onto ground and etched substrates. This form of carbon was used due to the confirmed biocompatibility with the human body and the ability to create titanium carbides after laser treatment. The EPD-deposited carbon nanotube coating was subjected to laser treatment. Due to high power densities applied to the material during laser treatment, non-equilibrium structures were observed while improving mechanical and anti-corrosive properties. An electrophoretically deposited coating of carbon nanotubes further improved the effects of laser processing through greater strengthening, hardness or Young′s modulus similar to that required, as well as led to an increase in corrosion resistance. The advantage of the presented laser modification of the Ti13Nb13Zr alloy with a carbon coating is the lack of surface cracks, which are difficult to eliminate with traditional laser treatment of Ti alloys. All samples tested showed contact angles between 46° and 82° and thus, based on the literature reports, they have hydrophilic surfaces suitable for cell adhesion.

Mechanical Properties and Residual Stress Measurements of Grade IV Titanium and Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-13Nb-13Zr Titanium Alloys after Laser Treatment

“…Titanium is characterized by the highest biotolerance, high biocompatibility and the lowest Young’s modulus among currently used metallic biomaterials, and it also shows corrosion resistance in the aggressive environment of the human body [ 10 , 11 , 12 ]. As a result, it is successfully used in facial plates, pacemakers, endoprostheses and dental implants [ 13 , 14 ].…”

“…The surface of the titanium alloys can be modified by laser treatment [ 12 , 15 , 18 , 26 , 27 , 28 ]. This type of modification is characterized by no contact and remote control of the laser beam path, thus maintaining the high cleanliness of the treated surface.…”

Titanium Functionalized with Polylysine Homopolymers: In Vitro Enhancement of Cells Growth

“…Dental implants are multi-material prostheses that replace tooth roots with screwlike metal fixtures surgically inserted into the edentulous bone that are connected by the Dental implants are multi-material prostheses that replace tooth roots with screw-like metal fixtures surgically inserted into the edentulous bone that are connected by the abutment with an artificial crown that replaces the missing tooth, looking and acting identical to the real one (Figure 1). Dental implants fixtures are generally composed of biomedical titanium and its alloys [1], as they are biocompatible as well as resistant to corrosion and strength [2].…”

“…In addition to different surgical protocols [10], geometry modifications [5,11] and various surface treatments for increasing surface roughness [1,12], such as acid-etching, grit-blasting, titanium plasma-spraying, or anodization [13], as well as the use of various coatings to make the titanium surface bioactive [14][15][16][17] are responsible for empowering the wettability, bone anchoring, and biomechanical stability between the implant-bone interfaces [3,6,10,12,18], thus increasing osteoinduction and osteointegration.…”

“…A model of study on the osteogenic effects of substances is the use of human dental pulp stem cells [22][23][24], which previously has been proven to be involved in bone-implant osseointegration [25][26][27][28]. In details, the role of induced pluripotent stem cells in dentistry has been recently discussed and the use of autologous dental-derived stem cells has been proposed Dental implants fixtures are generally composed of biomedical titanium and its alloys [1], as they are biocompatible as well as resistant to corrosion and strength [2].…”