Effects of Sintering Temperature on Mechanical Properties and Biocompatibility of Porous TiZr Alloy Produced by Powder Metallurgy

Abstract

As the average life expectancy of the world population increases, the need for implant biomaterials increases. Therefore, research in this area has increased in recent years. In particular, porous metals are more useful due to their controllable mechanical and physical properties and improved implant-bone interaction due to their porous structure. As an innovation, in this study, the effects of sintering temperature on the microstructure, mechanical and biocompatibility properties of Ti-20Zr alloys were investigated. Changes in the microstructure of the samples and phase analysis were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The mechanical properties of the samples were investigated by using the compression test and the in vivo biocompatibility properties were investigated by using Sprague Dawley female rats. According to the experimental results, the sintering temperature played an important role in the microstructure, mechanical properties, and biocompatibility. In addition, no toxic or allergic reactions were observed at the implantation site. These resultsrevealed that Ti-20Zr alloys are promising implants for hard tissue.