H. Wang, Z. Z. Fang, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
Ti and its alloys are one of the best materials for biomedical implant applications owing to their excellent mechanical properties, corrosion resistance and biocompatibility. However, mismatch between the stiffness of the monolithic Ti biomaterials and that of surrounding bones has been identified as a primary reason for loosening of implant after a certain period of time. One approach for solving this problem is to use porous Ti materials since the elastic modulus of the porous materials can be tailored. In this investigation, porous Ti foams are fabricated using a hybrid slip casting powder metallurgy approach. Titanium powder slurry is used to impregnate a polyurethane (PU) foam to obtain a highly porous structure with large volume fractions of open porosities. Sintering is carried out under high vacuum. The sintered Ti foams are characterized with respect to their densities, shape and size of the porosities as well as the strut size. Further, mechanical properties such as compressive strengthen are also examined.