Composition, Mechanical Properties, Shape Memory Effects, and Biocompatibility of NiTiW Alloys
摘要
Biocompatibility, structure, and properties of medical grade nickel-titanium (NiTi) alloys doped with tungsten were studied in this paper. The main phases are TiNi, Ti2Ni, and pure W, based on the x-ray diffraction analysis. W is present in the NiTi alloys in the form of separate particles with 1.5 µm average size. Starting at a W concentration of 0.4 at.%, the stress–strain curves do not exhibit traditional stress plateau associated with the formation of stress-induced martensite, presumably due to a decrease in the volume fraction of the B2 phase by 50%. The strain of the multiple shape memory effect accumulated during cooling decreased from 6.5 to 3% with higher W content. Characteristic martensite transformation temperatures decrease with W concentration. Biocompatibility using 3T3 cells demonstrated that alloying NiTi with W improves biocompatibility. The hemolysis tests showed that NiTiW alloys do not have a destructive effect on erythrocytes for the tested W concentration up to 0.6 at.%. Decreased levels of cytotoxicity with W content were observed. The practical application of NiTiW alloys in medicine from the point of view of physical materials science is promising at a W concentration up to 0.2 at.%.