The structure and mechanical properties of as-cast Zr-Ti alloys

This study has investigated the structure and mechanical properties of pure Zr and a series of binary Zr-Ti alloys in order to determine their potential application as dental implant materials. The titanium contents of these alloys range from 10 to 40 wt.% and were prepared by arc melting in inert gas. This study evaluated the phase and structure of these Zr-Ti alloys using an X-ray diffraction (XRD) for phase analysis, and an optical microscope for microstructure analysis of the etched alloys. Three-point bending tests were performed to evaluate the mechanical properties of all specimens. The experimental results indicated that the pure Zr and Zr-10Ti comprised entirely of an acicular hexagonal structure of alpha' phase. When the Ti content increased to 20 wt.%, a significant amount of beta phase was retained. However, when the Ti content increased to 40 wt.%, only the equi-axed, retained beta phase was observed in the cast alloy. Moreover, the hardness values and bending strengths of the Zr-Ti alloys decreased with an increasing Ti content. Among pure Zr and Zr-Ti alloys, the alpha'-phase Zr-10Ti alloy has the greatest hardness and bending strength. The pure Zr and Zr-Ti alloys exhibit a similar elastic modulus ranging from 68 GPa (Zr-30Ti) to 78 GPa (Zr-40Ti). Based on the results of elastic moduli, pure Zr and Zr-Ti alloys are found to be suitable for implant materials due to lower modulus. Like bending strength, the elastically recoverable angle of Zr-Ti alloys decreased as the concentration of Ti increased. In the current search for a better implant material, the Zr-10Ti alloy exhibited the highest bending strength/modulus ratios as large as 25.3, which are higher than that of pure Zr (14.9) by 70%, and commercially pure Ti (8.7) by 191%. Thus, Zr-Ti alloy's low modulus, ductile property, excellent elastic recovery capability and impressive strength confirm that it is a promising candidate for dental implant materials. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.