Corrosion Behavior of Ti-XCu Alloys for Dental Applications

TitaniumTitanium implants are susceptible to bacterial infection, necessitating excruciating and expensive revision surgeries. CopperCopper as an antibacterial agent in the titaniumTitanium alloying is an emerging, practical solution to this issue. This study aimed to investigate the synthesis of Ti-xCu alloys (x = 2.5, 5, and 10 wt.%) and assessed their dental application. Mechanical alloyingMechanical alloying was employed after optimizing milling parameters and followed by sinteringSintering and aging heat-treatment. The sintered Ti-xCu alloys were characterized to evaluate microstructureMicrostructure, phase composition, and thermal stability. The existence of Ti2Cu intermetallic phases, confirmed through structureStructure and phase analyses, played a pivotal role in enhancing mechanical and corrosionCorrosion properties. HardnessHardness measurements revealed a substantial enhancement, increased from 185 for pristine TiTi to 285 for Ti-10Cu alloy. Furthermore, Ti-5Cu and Ti-10Cu alloys revealed 69 and 71.5% improvement in the corrosion rateCorrosion rates, respectively compared to α-TiTi. This approach offers a practical and promising Ti-Cu alloyTi-Cu alloys for dental applications.