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Processing and properties of highly porous Ti6Al4V mimicking human bones

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Abstract

Ti6Al4V alloy samples with large pores suitable for bone implants are fabricated by pressing and sintering. Ti6Al4V powder is mixed with different volume fractions of salt particles. The sintering behavior up to 1260 °C is studied by dilatometry and pore features are observed by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray microtomography. Sintered materials with a relative density between 0.26 and 0.97 are obtained. 3D image analysis proves that large pores form a connected network when the amount of salt is 20% and above. The Young’s modulus and the yield stress of sintered materials deduced from compression tests span over wide ranges of values, which are consistent with real bone data. A simple analytical model is proposed to estimate the relative density as a function of the fraction of salt. This model combined with classical Gibson and Ashby’s power equations for mechanical properties can predict the fraction of salt required to obtain prescribed properties.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors would like to thank CIC of the UMSNH and ECOS M15P01 for the financial support and the facilities to develop this study. The Laboratory “Lumir” Geosciences of the UNAM, Juriquilla for the 3D image acquisition and processing is also acknowledged with thanks.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. IIMM and INICIT, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia, Michoacán, C.P. 58060, México

    Jose Luis Cabezas-Villa & Luis Olmos

  2. CNRS, SIMAP, University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, 38000, France

    Didier Bouvard

  3. IIMM, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia, Michoacán, C.P. 58060, México

    José Lemus-Ruiz

  4. Departamento de Ingeniería de Proyectos, Universidad de Guadalajara, Zapopan, 45100, Jalisco, México

    Omar Jiménez

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  1. Jose Luis Cabezas-Villa
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  2. Luis Olmos
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  3. Didier Bouvard
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  4. José Lemus-Ruiz
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Correspondence to Luis Olmos.

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Cabezas-Villa, J.L., Olmos, L., Bouvard, D. et al. Processing and properties of highly porous Ti6Al4V mimicking human bones. Journal of Materials Research 33, 650–661 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2018.35

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