EUROPEAN CONGRESS AND EXHIBITION ON ADVANCED MATERIALS AND PROCESSES - EUROMAT 2021

Field-assisted sintering technique (FAST) was used for fast prototyping of Ti-Nb-Zr-O based alloys from blended elemental powders. These alloys are promising materials for application as load-bearing implants as they possess high strength and low elastic modulus. Precise optimization of the composition of these quaternary alloys is crucial for fine tuning of β phase stability and, in consequence, the elastic modulus of the material. Fast prototyping via FAST proved to be efficient for manufacturing of a series of samples with Nb content in the range of 20–29 wt%. Sintering at 1500°C for 30 min was found to be necessary and sufficient for achieving zero porosity and a satisfactory level of homogenization. Chemical homogeneity and microstructure were determined by SEM complemented with EDS. Microhardness measurement, ensile tests and resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (RUS) were used to determine mechanical properties including the intrinsic elastic modulus. Promising mechanical properties: strength exceeding 1000 MPa and elastic modulus as low as 60 GPa were achieved in the optimized alloys.