Porous Ti-6Al-4V alloy fabricated by spark plasma sintering for biomimetic surface modification

✍ Scribed by Kon, Masayuki ;Hirakata, Luciana M. ;Asaoka, Kenzo

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2003
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 325 KB
• Volume: 68B
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0021-9304
• DOI: 10.1002/jbm.b.20004

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Porous compacts with both biological and biomechanical compatibilities and high strength were developed. Spherical powders of Ti‐6Al‐4V alloy, which were either as received or surface modified with the use of calcium ions by hydrothermal treatment (HTT), were fabricated by a spark plasma sintering process. The porous compacts of pure Ti were used as reference materials. Porosity was approximately 30%, and compressive strengths were 113 and 125 MPa for the as‐received Ti alloy powders and those modified by the HTT process, respectively. The bending strength and elastic modulus of as‐received Ti alloy powders were 128–178 MPa and 16–18 GPa, respectively. Each of the compacts was immersed in simulated body fluid (SBF). The amount of adsorption/precipitation of calcium phosphate through the compacts was measured by weight change and was observed by SEM. The compacts were covered with calcium phosphate after 2 weeks of immersion in SBF. The compacts of Ti alloy had plenty of precipitated apatite crystals, and modification by HTT accumulated more precipitation. Because calcium phosphate is a mineral component of bone, apatite, which is precipitated on the surface of the compacts, could adsorb proteins and/or drugs such as antibiotics. It is expected that a large amount of proteins and/or drugs could be impregnated when the porous compacts developed are used. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 68B: 88–93, 2004