CHARACTERIZATION OF POROUS NITRIDED Ti6Al4V

BIOMEDICAL ALLOYS PRODUCED BY SOLID STATE SINTERING

Faras Velzquez, Ivn Gerardo, Jimnez Alemn Omar, Olmos Navarrete Luis, Alvarado Hernndez Francisco, Vergara Hernndez
Hctor Javier, Cabezas Villa Jos Luis.
Contact: Departamento de ingeniera de proyectos
Jos Guadalupe Zuno #48, los Belenes, Zapopan,
Jalisco, Mxico C.P. 45100.
Email: ivanger@gmaiil.com

Relative high elastic Modulus in materials such as 316L, CoCrMo and Ti6Al4V in long term implant devices (<10 years), can lead to stress shielding effect, inducing a boneimplant mismatch. A
reduction in elastic modulus was possible using the space holder method, achieving a maximum total porosity of 48% and a total reduction of Young modulus 47.8 times in comparison with
wrought Ti6Al4V. However, induced porosity implied a substantial increase of specific area, accelerating the corrosion rate. Hence, nitrogen was flowing during 0.5 h and 2h in the sintering
processes at 1250 C. The corrosion resistance of nitrided sintering was a minimum two times higher in comparison with sintering compacts.
Keywords: Powder metallurgy, biomaterials, corrosion , Ti6Al4V.

Figure 5 two pairs of samples are shown:

Sample Without Induced Porosity (SWIP)
and Induced Porosity Sample (IPS). Sintered
at 1100C and 1300 C respetively.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Figure 5.a) virtual slice of porous sample, b) and c) 3D rendering of porous

phase
Figure 6. Level of total porosity in obtained samples.

Figure 1. shape, distribution and size of particle.

The sintering compacts were fabricate using prealloyed powders

of Ti6Al4V, according to ASTM B348 standard grade 23, as shown
figure 1.

b)

a)

The space method was carried out according to diagram in figure

2.
Figure 7

Figure 2. Porous Ti6Al4 fabrication by means space holder method .

Figure 8

E(GPa)
7

According to figure 2,
it was two finals
products, where one
was sintered under
argon
atmosphere,
the other one was
sintered first under
argon during 1 hour
and
after
nitride
during 0.5 and 2
hours respectively at
1250 C. In each
case, the cooling was
under
argon
atmosphere. All the
sintering cycles are
summarizing in figure
Figure 3. Sintering cycles.
3.
Elastic modulus was determined from the graph stress vs
deformation with universal testing machine, in compression mode.
Using cylindrical specimen with dimensions of 0.8 in diameter by 1
cm in height.
RESULTS

IPS1300
IPS1100
SWPI1300
SWPI1100

E(GPa)
6.657
4.484
3.894
2.608

(MPa)
551.3
418.6
335.4
138.1

Yield strenght
(MPa, off set =0.2%)
237.5
108
79.3
58.7

5
4

E(GPa)

3
2
1
0
IPS1300

Table 1. Mechanic behavior in of different sintering samples.

Sample
Ti6Al4V

IPS1100

SWPI1300

SWPI1100

Figure 10. comparative chart between values of elastic.

modulus.

Corrosion Rate
(mmpy)
1.78E-03

Icorr (A/cm)
6.00E-05

5.00E-05

Ti6Al4V,
Nitrided 0.5h
Ti6Al4V,
Nitrided 2h
Sintered
1100C
Sintered
1300C
Sintered,
Nitrided 0.5h

1.15E-02
6.35E-03

4.00E-05

3.00E-05

2.00E-05

4.53E-01

Icorr (A/cm)

1.00E-05

0.00E+00

2.50E-01
8.05E-02
Figure 12. Current Density.

Sintered,
Nitrided 2h
Figure 11. Potentiodinamic polarization curves.

1.24E-01

Table 2. Corrosion rate in mmpy

CONCLUSIONS
The
SEM
micrographs shown
the
difference
between shrinkage
of particles and the
macropores yielded
by the space holder.

Figure 4. porous samples sintered: a) 1100 C and b) 1300C

Sample

In the present work were studied two groups of samples with a constant
porosity in average of 48% in terms of its mechanic properties and its
relationship with the corrosion rate when they are nitrided in situ during the
sintering process. Hence, the following conclusions can be drawn:
1. Compression tests showed that increasing sintering temperature
increased the elastic modulus. attributed to the increased number of
sintering necks and contact areas between the particles.
2.The corrosion rate in sintering Ti6Al4V were until 254 times higher in the
worst cases compared with wrought Ti6Al4V. However, it was found a
enhancement reducing that path at 45 times by means the used of nitrogen
atmosphere during the sintering process.
3. Especimenes nitrided at 0.5 h and 2 h had not noticiable diference in
nitriding