Porous Ti-based bulk metallic glass with excellent mechanical properties and good biocompatibility

Porous Ni- and Be-free Ti-based (Ti45Zr10Cu31Pd10Sn4) bulk metallic glass (BMG) with a diameter exceeding 15 mm was developed by spark plasma sintering (SPS) the mixture of gas-atomized Ti-based glassy alloy powder and solid salt (NaCl) powder, followed by leaching treatment to eliminate the salt phase. The thermal and structural stability, microstructure, mechanical properties, corrosion behavior, and biocompatibility of the developed porous Ti-based BMG samples were investigated systematically. The developed porous Ti-based BMG alloy exhibited three times higher yield strength than that of the natural bone, simultaneously matched the Young's modulus of natural bone, and demonstrated high corrosion resistance and excellent biocompatibility. These results suggest that porous Ti-based BMGs produced by the SPS process open an advanced alternative for clinical applications under load-bearing conditions such as surgical implants.