Microstructure, mechanical behaviour and antibacterial activity of biomedical Ti-xMn-yCu alloys

New ternary Ti-xMn-yCu alloys were designed aiming to develop Ti-based materials with antibacterial capability as pathogenic bacterial infection is a rising issue of metallic biomedical implants during surgery. The ternary Ti-xMn-yCu alloys are designed to be manufactured via powder metallurgy, which permits to successfully produce chemically homogeneous materials (key for a uniform antibacterial response) at lower cost. The methodical characterisation of Mn-dominant (Mn to Cu ratio of 3:1) and Cu-dominant (ratio of 1:3) ternary Ti-xMn-yCu alloys shows that the mechanical behaviour (tensile properties and hardness) and the in vitro antibacterial efficiency increase with the amount of alloying elements. Generally, Mn-dominant have better properties than Cu-dominant alloys but the latter are recommended for biomedical applications where high ductility is a critical requirement.