Exploring the mechanical properties at the nanoscale of MAO-treated titanium matrix composites reinforced with oxide particles

• Grant number: 25/02091-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 18, 2025
• End date: August 17, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Condensed Matter Physics
• Principal Investigator: Diego Rafael Nespeque Correa
• Grantee: Samuel Phelippe Bonetti
• Supervisor: Emilio Jose Frutos Torres
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências (FC). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Bauru. Bauru , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Spain
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/14878-2 - Synthesis of bioactive coatings based on high entropy oxides using the micro-arc oxidation of a metal matrix composite, BP.IC

Abstract

This study focuses on the development of a new metal matrix composite from pure commercial grade 2 titanium and metal oxides of interest in the biomedical field (TiO2, Al2O3, MoO3, MnO2, and Fe2O3). The composite will be formed by arc melting, with the addition of equal amounts of oxide particles in the proportion of 1%, 3%, and 5% by volume in relation to the titanium. The composite will subsequently undergo surface treatment by micro-arc oxidation (MAO) with the aim of improving its biofunctionality through the formation of porous high entropy oxides (PHEOs). The MAO process will allow the incorporation of bioactive ions into the surface of the alloy, encouraging osseointegration and bone regeneration. To this end, the electrolyte used in the MAO process will be composed of bioactive chemical species such as calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), and magnesium (Mg). The project will encompass a comprehensive evaluation of the mechanical properties of MAO-treated composites at the nanoscale by nanoindentation measurements. The main purpose is to obtain an understanding of the role of the reinforcements embedded in the matrix and in the MAO coatings on the local mechanical properties. Then, the results obtained will be correlated with the chemical, structural, microstructural, and biological aspects to verify the potential application in biomedical implants.