Abstract
Total hip arthroplasty has become more and more a common surgery due to the ageing population, car accidents and sport injuries of younger people. As a result, the development of new materials for this type of prosthesis is an issue of extreme importance, aiming at greater durability and efficiency in the resumption of joint movements. Currently, the hip prosthesis is modular, divided into four components. One of these components is the femoral stem, commonly made of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy. The friction that occurs in a corrosive environment, in the region of union between the stem and the femoral head, became a concern in last years. Solution for this problem may be achieved by the manufacturing of a functionally graded metal matrix composite, in order to obtain higher wear resistance for the stem in the region of union with the femoral head. Thus, the present work aims to apply the centrifugal casting process for the production of functionally graded composites, as an innovative technique for the fabrication of biomaterials. In this case, for achieving the required properties, a titanium-niobium alloy was chosen to obtain a metal matrix with high corrosion resistance and low elastic modulus, whereas the addition of zirconium dioxide as reinforcing particles will increase the wear resistance in the specific region of the stem, keeping high its global toughness. Therefore, the challenge will be to characterize this new material in accordance with the process parameters and conditions of the raw materials, and to analyze the results of wear resistance, corrosion resistance, stiffness and toughness. (AU)
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