Structural characteristics and mechanical properties of biomedical porous Ti-10Mo alloy fabricated by selective laser sintering

Ti-Mo alloy is one of the most prospective metallic biomaterials for implant application because of its low elastic modulus, high corrosion resistance and tissue compatibility. A complex-shaped porous Ti-10Mo alloy from a mixture of elemental metal powders and polymer binders was processed by selective laser sintering forming, followed by thermal debinding and sintering in vacuum. The effects of processing parameters on structural characteristics and mechanical properties were studied. The results indicate that the pore characteristic parameters, matrix microstructure and mechanical properties strongly depend on the sintering temperature. Specimens sintered at 1100 °C exhibit a higher porosity of 52.41%, and possess many three-dimensionally interconnected pores with an average size of 200 μm, and the matrix is dominated by α and β phases, and meanwhile the alloy exhibits a compressive yield strength of 95.59 MPa and an elastic modulus of 4.89 GPa at room temperature. With the rise in sintering temperature, both the porosity and the average pore size of specimens gradually decrease, and the interconnected pores tend to be closed. Specimens sintered at 1400 °C are characterized by a porosity of 26.32% and an average pore size of 60 μm with a compressive yield strength of 440 MPa and an elastic modulus of 35.26 GPa.