Tensile properties and cyto-toxicity of new biomedical beta-type titanium alloys

Co-Cr alloy, SUS 316L stainless steel, pure Ti and Ti-6Al-4V ELI have been used as implant materials. Ti-6Al-4V ELI has been most widely used as an im plant material to date because of its excellent combination of biocompatibi lity, corrosion resistance and mechanical properties. Since toxicity of V e tc., and high moduli of elasticity have been pointed our, beta-type biomedi cal titanium alloys are recently getting much attentions. New beta-type bio medical titanium alloys composed of non-toxic elements such as Nb, Ta, Mo, Zr and Sn with lower moduli of elasticity and greater strength were, theref ore, designed using alloy design method based on the d-electron theory in t his study. Tensile test, measurement of modulus of elasticity and evaluation of biocom patibility were conducted in order to investigate the mechanical properties and biocompatibility of the designed alloy. Tensile strength and elongatio n of Ti-29Nb-13Ta-4.6Zr are, in particular, equivalent to those of conventi onal biomedical titanium alloy such as Ti-6Al-4V ELI, and modulus of elasti city of Ti 29Nb 13Ta-4.6Zr is lower than that of Ti-6Al-4V ELI. The moduli of elasticity of the designed alloys are equivalent or lower comparing with those of conventional biomedical titanium alloys such as Ti-6Al-4V ELI and Ti-13Nb-13Zr. The biocomparibility of Ti-29Nb-13Ta-4.6Zr is equivalent to pure- Ti. and biocompatibility of Ti-29Nb-13Ta-4.6Zr is much greater than t hat of Ti-6Al-4V. The new beta-type titanium alloy Ti-Nb-Ta-Zr, designed in this study is exp ected to have greater performance For implant materials.