Effect of Porosity on Microstructure, Mechanical Properties and In Vivo Test of TiNbSn Alloy Produced via Powder Metallurgy Route

Ti6Al4V alloy are widely utilized as load-bearing implant due to its acceptable strength properties and good corrosion resistance, including a relatively low young modulus. However, concerns about its use in certain clinical applications arise from the known toxicity of aluminium nickel and vanadium. To address this issue, a new type of porous Ti16Nb4Sn (at. %) alloys, which possess a relatively low Young's modulus and good cytotoxicity properties, was developed by using a powder metallurgy process combined with a spacer. Microstructure examination of test alloys was done via scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray spectra. A uniaxial compression test was conducted for assessing the biomechanical performances of the alloys. Lastly, in vivo test was analysed by using rats. Summarizing all the results, randomly distributed micro and macropores with sharp corner were observed in the microstructures, which led to a significant reduction in Young's modulus from 91 GPa to 20 GPa. In addition, no toxic or allergic interaction between the alloys and bone tissue was observed, which revealed that Ti16Nb4Sn alloys achieved in this work may be considered as a promising load-bearing implant.