Preliminary studies of new heat-treated titanium alloys for use in medical equipment

Abstract

Titanium alloys are essential in the biomedical field due to their exceptional corrosion resistance, mechanical strength and biocompatibility, making them ideal for producing safe medical implants and devices. Novel heat treatment techniques have been developed to optimize the microstructure, mechanical, corrosion and surface characteristics of alloys in biological environments, thereby reducing internal stresses and improving passive layer formation, thus prolonging implant service life. The analyzed samples were stress relieved titanium- molybdenum alloys (Ti-15Mo) with Si additions of 0%, 0.5%, 0.75% and 1.0%. Microstructure, microhardness and corrosion behavior were studied to evaluate the potential of these alloys for use in the human body, with a particular focus on medical devices where durability, hardness and corrosion resistance are critical factors. The addition of molybdenum as a β-phase stabilizer enhanced the formation of the advantageous lamellar micro-structure of α + β phases for mechanical performance. The corrosion behavior was examined in simulated body fluid (Ringer’s solution) and the higher silicon content contributed to the formation of a thicker and protective passive layer, which substantially reduced the corrosion rate. The microhardness of silicon-enriched alloys under various stress conditions was higher than that of commercially pure titanium (CpTi), demonstrating their capability for better performance in biomedical applications.