Effect of Heat Treatment on Microstructure, Mechanical and Corrosion Behavior of Ti-7Mo-8Nb Alloy for Biomedical Applications

This study investigates the effect of heat treatment on microstructure, mechanical and corrosion behavior of a novel Ti-7Mo-8Nb alloy that can be used in biomedical applications. The samples were prepared using powder metallurgy technique. The samples were subjected to sub-solution treatment at 765 °C for 1 h and quenched in water followed by aging at 400, 500 and 600 °C for 4 h to study the aging temperature effect. Vickers hardness, compression and wear tests were performed and compared to the as-sintered sample. Maximum elastic modulus (49.72 GPa) was obtained for the aged sample 600 °C due to the over-aging, while minimum elastic modulus (35.21 GPa) was reported for the sample aged at 500 °C. Maximum tensile properties were also reported for the sample aged at 500 °C while minimum wear and corrosion rates were registered for the same sample. Hence, Ti-7Mo-8Nb alloy aged at 500 °C showed superior mechanical and electrochemical performance; it can be considered as a good candidate alloy for orthopedic biomedical applications.