Influence of lubricating conditions on the two-body wear behavior and hardness of titanium alloys for biomedical applications

Commercially pure titanium and titanium alloys are often preferred in biomedical applications due to their high biocompatibility behavior. However, the inadequate wear, fatigue and corrosion resistance of titanium alloys limit their use as a biomaterial in the human body. Furthermore, these alloys may contain such as aluminum and vanadium elements that can damage the nervous system. The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the influence of lubrication conditions on the two-body wear behavior of pure titanium, Ti-2.5Si-5Zr, Ti-5Si-5Zr, and Ti-6Al-4V using dual-axis computer-controlled wear simulator device. The mean wear volume loss of all test specimens after the two-body wear test procedures were determined to use a non-contact 3D profilometer. The alloys hardness and microstructures were evaluated using the Vickers indention method, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The hardness of Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy material was significantly greater than the other alloy materials and cp-Ti. The mean wear volume loss of Ti-5Si-5Zr test specimens was lower than the other test group specimens irrespective of lubrication conditions. It was concluded, the two-body wear resistance of the alloy formed with the addition of silica to the pure titanium is increased after both wear test procedures. However, for the test materials in this study considered, correlations between the two-body wear resistance and hardness were found to be insignificant.

Keywords: Biomedical application; titanium alloys; two-body wear; volume loss.