Comparative Study of TiMn and TiAlV Alloys via the Nanoindentation Technique

There are two common categories of implants that are used in medical sciences, i.e., orthopedic and dental ones. In this study, dental implant materials are focused such as Ti6Al4V alloys that are used for the replacement of lost teeth due to their high strength and biocompatibility. However, they cause infections in nearby tissues due to elemental release (potentially Al and V). Thus, manganese is selected to be incorporated into the alloy since it is also present in the human body in the form of traces. Different sets of implants were produced, i.e., Ti5Mn and Ti10Mn (where 5 and 10 describe the percentage of Mn) by using the powder metallurgy technique. This was followed by characterization techniques, including X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), optical microscope (OM), and nanoindenter. The very aim of this study is to compare the microstructural evolutions, density, and mechanical properties of reference alloys and the ones produced in this study. Results show the microstructure of Ti6Al4V consists of the alpha (α) and beta (β) phases, while Ti5Mn and Ti10Mn revealed the beta (β) phases. The Ti5Mn alloy showed excellent mechanical properties than that of the Ti6Al4V counterpart. Extensive discussion is presented in light of the observed results. The relative density of Ti5Mn alloy was found to be enhanced than that of reference alloy.