Characterization of the Ti-10Nb-10Zr-5Ta Alloy for Biomedical Applications. Part 2: Wettability, Tribological Performance and Biocompatibility

The Ti-10Nb-10Zr-5Ta alloy, prepared in a levitation melting furnace, was investigated as a possible candidate for replacing Ti6Al4V alloy in medical applications. The sessile drop method, pin-on-disc and in vitro tests were used to analyze wettability, wear resistance, and biocompatibility of the new alloy. The characteristics of the Ti-10Nb-10Zr-5Ta alloy were assessed in comparison to those of the Ti6Al4V alloy. The Ti-10Nb-10Zr-5Ta system was found to have hydrophilic characteristics with similar contact angle as the Ti6Al4V alloy. In all environments (deionized water, simulated body fluid and Fusayama Meyer artificial saliva), the friction coefficient showed a stable evolution versus sliding distance, being similar for both alloys. On overall, the wear resistance of Ti-10Nb-10Zr-5Ta alloy was lower than that of Ti6Al4V for all testing environments. The Ti-10Nb-10Zr-5Ta alloy exhibited good biocompatibility characteristics at in vitro test compared to Ti6Al4V alloy. The cell viability on Ti-10Nb-10Zr-5Ta surfaces was higher than the one observed on Ti6Al4V samples, regardless the number of days spent in osteoblast-like cells culture. A high degree of cell attachment and spreading was observed on both alloys.