Abstract
There is much discussion about the toxic effect of vanadium and aluminum contained in Ti6Al4V alloy for prosthetic implants. The goal of the present investigation was to develop new titanium alloys with sufficient mechanical properties using more biocompatible alloying elements: zirconium, tin, niobium, tantalum, and palladium. The relative growth rates of L929 and MC3T3‐E1 cells were significantly higher when cultured with the extraction of Ti10Zr8Nb2Ta0.2Pd or Ti15Zr4Nb2Ta0.2Pd alloys than when cultured with the extraction of Ti6Al4V ELI alloy. The tensile strength, elongation, and reduction of area for Ti15Sn4Nb2Ta0.2Pd alloy were 989 MPa, 14.4%, and 49.3%, respectively, surpassing Ti6Al4V ELI alloy (ASTM F13884); those for Ti15Zr4Nb2Ta0.2Pd alloy were 725 MPa, 23.6% and 54.9%, respectively. More than 15% addition of tin as well as zirconium deteriorated the tensile properties. Titanium release into a 5% hydrochloric acid solution from the new titanium alloys was 20–50 μg/cm2 per day, though that from Ti6Al4V ELI alloy was 1300 μg/cm2 per day. The optimum alloy compositions are Ti15Zr4Nb2Ta0.2Pd and Ti15Sn4Nb2Ta0.2Pd, judging from cytocompatibility, corrosion resistance, and mechanical properties. The former is characterized by its high level cytocompatibility and corrosion resistance, while the latter is characterized by mechanical properties. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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