Development of Ti–Mo alloys for biomedical applications: Microstructure and electrochemical characterization

Ti–Mo alloys from 4 to 20 Mo wt.% were arc-melted. Their compositions and surfaces were analyzed by EDX, XRF and SEM. The Mo mapping shows a homogeneous distribution for all alloys. The XRD analysis showed that the crystal structure of the alloys is sensitive to the Mo concentration; a mixture of the hexagonal α′ and orthorhombic α″ phases was observed for the Ti–4Mo alloy, and the α″ phase is observed almost exclusively when the concentration of Mo added to the Ti reaches 6%. A significant retention of the β phase is observed for the alloy containing 10% Mo, while at higher Mo concentrations (15% and 20%), retention of phase β is only verified. Preliminary electrochemical studies have indicated a valve-metal behavior and good corrosion resistance in aerated Ringer solution for all alloys.