Effect of heat treatment on the microstructural and mechanical properties of Ti6Al4V-equine bone nanocomposites

To improve the osteointegration of titanium alloy as an implant material without separation problem, hybrid Ti6Al4V- natural equine bone composites (Ti6Al4V-EB) were successfully synthesized by ball milling and spark plasma sintering (SPS). For biomedical application, the low elastic modulus of the composites was achieved by phase transformation through SPS temperature and additional heat treatment. The α' martensite phase formed during SPS was decomposed into α-Ti and β-Ti phases after heat treatment, increasing the fraction of β-Ti, which has a low elastic modulus. The case of Ti6Al4V/0.05 EB composite fabricated by SPS at 800 °C after heat treatment at 880 °C for 60 min exhibited a Vickers hardness and modulus of 517.1 HV and 119.6 GPa, respectively. Thus, heat treatment effectively reduced the elastic modulus without affecting the hardness. In this study, eco-friendly fabricated Ti6Al4V-EB composites show a high osteointegration and could achieve a reduced healing period for biomedical applications.