A study on the fretting process of low modulus beta titanium alloy for modular implants

• Grant number: 17/05317-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2017
• End date: December 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Claudemiro Bolfarini
• Grantee: Thiago Takehara Ishikawa
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/05987-8 - Processing and characterization of amorphous, metastable and nano-structured metallic alloys, AP.TEM

Abstract

Beta titanium alloys have been showing a promising perspective in orthopedic implant applications due to its closer elastic modulus to the bone when compared to the consolidated Ti-6Al-4V alloy, also due to its absence of potentially pathogenic chemical elements. However, metallic debris can commonly arise from modular implants when the system is subjected to movement, characterizing the fretting mechanism. Surface wear may also have a synergistic effect with the environment when it is aggressive, which is the case of implants. The clinical effect of both components materials will depend on the sensibility of each patient, being very common the occurrence of necrosis in the implant region. This work aims to evaluate the fretting mechanism in systems composed of different beta titanium alloys in contact with a Co-Cr-Mo alloy by performing fatigue tests in saline environment, superficial evaluation of each material and analysis of the resulting solution used in the fatigue tests.