Investigation of metal materials used in implants under different aging techniques

Bone and joint disorders represent a significant health concern, impacting millions of individuals globally. This phenomenon has led to an augmented demand for surgical interventions and biomedical implants. Approximately 70-80% of implants are manufactured from metallic biomaterials. The development of technologies and methodologies has facilitated research in orthopedic applications, enabling the focus on the development of metallic biomaterials. Ceramic reinforcements are incorporated into metal matrix composites with the objective of increasing the performance of metallic materials. In this study, B4C-doped CoCrMo, Ti, and 17-4 PH matrix composites were produced using conventional powder metallurgy for biomedical implant applications. The present study investigated the effect of varying amounts of B4C doping on mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. The microstructures of the composites were examined using scanning electron microscopy. Mechanical and corrosion performances were evaluated by hardness, wear, ultrasonic elasticity modulus measurements, electrical conductivity and electrochemical corrosion tests (Potentiodynamic Polarization and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy). The consistency and reliability of the performance measurements were verified by Weibull analysis. The findings indicated that the addition of B4C has the potential to modify the properties of biomedical alloys, thereby offering engineering advantages for B4C-reinforced biomedical implants. B4C reinforcement increased the hardness, elasticity modulus and corrosion rate values of CoCrMo, Ti and 17-4 PH alloys, while decreasing the wear percentage, conductivity and surface oxide film corrosion resistance. CoCrMo-5B4C, Ti-5B4C, and 17-4PH-6B4C composites have been identified as composites with the potential for utilization in biomedical implant applications due to their exceptional properties. With regard to implant applications, B4C-reinforced Ti composites exhibited superior outcomes in comparison to B4C-reinforced CoCrMo and 17-4 PH composites. Ti-5B4C was identified as the most balanced composite due to its high wear resistance, low corrosion rate, and elasticity modulus values that similar those of human bone. This study has demonstrated through experiments that Ti-B4C composites are suitable for use in advanced implant technologies, orthopedic and dental implants, spinal immobilization devices and other load-bearing biomedical applications.