Mechanical modulation and bioactive surface modification of porous Ti–10Mo alloy for bone implants

The objective of this work was to fabricate a suitable porous Ti–10Mo alloy as the human bone replacement implants. The porous Ti–10Mo alloy was fabricated by mechanical alloying and then consolidated by powder metallurgy technique. NH4HCO3 powder was used as space-holder. It was indicated that the mean pore size, porosity, compressive strength, and elastic modulus of porous Ti–10Mo alloy could be tailored by the amount of NH4HCO3, and then could be matched with those of human bones. Furthermore, porous Ti–10Mo alloy was treated by alkali heat treatment and soaked in the 1.5 times simulated body fluid (1.5SBF). It was observed that the surface and the inside pore wall of porous Ti–10Mo alloy with 25 wt.% NH4HCO3 covered with the apatite layer after soaked in 1.5SBF for 28 days. These phenomena indicated that the surface modified porous Ti–10Mo alloy exhibited a high potential for bone-bonding, which was expected to be used as bone tissue implant.

► A substantial increase in porosity and mean pore size with addition of NH4HCO3.
► Porous structure of alloy with 25 wt.% NH4HCO3 were similar to this of human bone.
► Modulus of alloy with 25 wt.% NH4HCO3 were similar to this of human bone.
► Apatite nucleation and growth depended on immersion time but not NH4HCO3 amount.