Effects of in-situ TiC and TiB reinforcements on the wear resistance of the Ti-15Nb alloy

• Grant number: 24/19591-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 05, 2025
• End date: April 04, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Condensed Matter Physics
• Principal Investigator: Diego Rafael Nespeque Correa
• Grantee: Carlos Eduardo da Silva
• Supervisor: Sophia Alexandra Tsipas
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências (FC). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Bauru. Bauru , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Universidad Carlos Iii De Madrid, Campus De Leganés, Spain
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/03308-0 - Study of the Ti-15Nb alloys with in-situ TiC and TiB reinforcements to combine low elastic modulus with high wear resistance targeting biomedical applications, BP.IC

Abstract

The scientific community has been challenged to find materials that enhance the durability and performance of orthopedic prostheses, such as hip and knee prostheses. Among the promising alternatives, titanium-niobium (Ti-Nb) alloys stand out as non-toxic and non-allergenic materials with high specific strength and low elastic modulus. Compositions like the Ti-15Nb (%wt.) alloy have achieved elastic modulus values closest to that of bone, which is crucial to preventing the stress shielding effect. However, in addition to mechanical properties, joint prostheses involve tribological requirements, because cyclic sliding movements usually occur between their components. This condition limits the success of metallic materials, which generally have low wear resistance. To attend to these requirements, a strategy may involve the addition of hard particles as the reinforcement of Ti-Nb alloys, yielding Ti-based Matrix Composites (TMCs). In this way, the critical factor for achieving the desired properties lies in the strong bond between the reinforcement and the matrix, which can be achieved when chemical reactions occur during the TMC production, known as in-situ conditions. For instance, a recent study innovatively applied arc melting to promote in-situ reactions between the Ti-40Nb alloy and B4C powder. As a result, a TMC with hybrid reinforcement of TiC and TiB was obtained. However, elevated levels of Nb, TiC, and TiB increased the elastic modulus. Therefore, the present project in Brazil aims to produce and characterize new TMCs with the Ti-15Nb alloy and the addition of different amounts of B4C during melting. In this way, it is expected to combine high wear resistance with a low elastic modulus, which is essential for biomedical applications. Given that, the current proposal for exchange research focuses on evaluating the wear resistance of the produced samples by dry-sliding tests.