Processing and mechanical properties of titanium foams enhanced by Er_2O_3 for biomedical applications

摘要

Titanium foams have been receiving increasing attention for biomedical application due to their excellent biocompatibility and corrosion resistance. The low compressive strength of pure Ti foams limits its application in vivo. In the present work, the purpose is to prepare Ti foams with better mechanical properties by doping rare earth Er_2O_3. The density of Ti foams was measured by Archimedes' method. Simultaneously, microstructure was observed by SEM, and mechanical properties were investigated by compressive tests. Porosity and Young's modulus were observed to a slight change. Addition of Er_2O_3 efficiently enhanced the compressive strength as a result of the Er_2O_3 particle reinforced phase. The results indicate that the compressive strength tends to increase with increasing Er_2O_3 content, while excessive content will deteriorate the mechanical properties. In the present study, Ti foams doped with Er_2O_3 contents of 0.25 and 1.0wt-% obtained better compressive strength. Thus, rare earth Er_2O_3 can be used as a particle reinforced phase to improve the mechanical properties of Ti foams.