Strength and Corrosion-Fatigue Crack-Growth Resistance of Alloys of the Ti–Nb–Zr–Si System Intended for Biomedical Purposes

We study the influence of the chemical composition and the conditions of thermomechanical and thermal treatments on the structural strength determined by the characteristics of strength and cyclic crack-growth resistance, as well as on the corrosion and corrosion-fatigue properties of alloys of the Ti–Nb–Si and Ti–Nb–Zr–Si systems. These characteristics are compared with the characteristics determined for the extensively used Ti–Al–V alloy intended for biomedical applications. It is shown that, under the conditions of reliable control over the formation and development of mechanical defects (fatigue cracks) in the products made of Ti–18.7Nb–1.0Si alloy, this alloy may serve as a good alternative to Ti–6Al–4V alloy.