Andrei Victor SANDU1,2, Madalina Simona BALTATU1, Andrei PRUTEANU1, Petrica VIZUREANU1,2
Abstract. Titanium-based alloys are widely used in biomedical applications due to their excellent biocompatibility, corrosion resistance, and favorable mechanical behavior. This study provides a comparative analysis of the commercial Ti-6Al-4V (Grade 5) alloy and a newly developed β-stabilised alloy, Ti15Mo7Zr15Ta5Nb, with the aim of assessing their suitability for orthopedic implants. The materials were fabricated through conventional processing (Ti-6Al-4V) and vacuum arc remelting (Ti15Mo7Zr15Ta5Nb), followed by detailed microstructural, structural, and mechanical characterization. Optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction revealed a bimodal α+β microstructure for Ti-6Al-4V, whereas Ti15Mo7Zr15Ta5Nb exhibited a predominantly β-phase structure with orthorhombic α″ martensite. Nanoindentation tests indicated that the experimental alloy possesses a significantly lower elastic modulus (40.35 GPa) compared to Ti-6Al-4V (113.8 GPa), reducing the risk of stress shielding and improving biomechanical compatibility with human bone. Although Ti-6Al-4V showed higher hardness, the new alloy demonstrated superior elasticity and compositional biocompatibility due to the absence of Al and V. Overall, Ti15Mo7Zr15Ta5Nb emerges as a promising alternative for next-generation orthopedic implants, offering improved biological safety and mechanical compatibility, while Ti-6Al-4V remains favorable for applications requiring high strength.
Keywords: biocompatibility; microstructure; titanium alloys; tribological properties; β-stabilized alloys
DOI 10.56082/annalsarsciphyschem.2025.2.115
1 Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iasi, 67 Prof. D. Mangeron Blvd., 700050, Iasi, Romania
2 Academy of Romanian Scientists, 3 Ilfov St., RO-050044, Bucharest, Romania
*Corresponding authors: andrei-victor.sandu@academic.tuiasi.ro, madalina-simona.baltatu@academic.tuiasi.ro, petrica.vizureanu@academic.tuiasi.ro
PUBLISHED in Annals of the Academy of Romanian Scientists Series on Physics and Chemistry, Volume 10, No2