Studying the effect of ZrO2 and Sintering Temperature on the Corrosion Behavior and Biocompatibility of Ti-12Mo Alloy for Dental Applications

The microstructure, mechanical proprieties, corrosion behavior, and biocompatibility of pure titanium were improved by reinforcing with 12 wt.% molybdenum and different weight percentages of zirconia. Powder metallurgy is used to achieve a uniform distribution of Mo and ZrO2 in the titanium matrix. Mechanical milling using a ball mill machine was used for the preparation of composite powders, by 10:1 ball to powder ratio, 100 rpm for 24 h milling time, by alumina ceramic balls of 10 mm diameter in an argon atmosphere Ethanol is added as a process controlling agent by 2 wt. Ti–12Mo/(x)ZrO2 composites powders are cold compacted by a uniaxial press under 600 MPa in a die with dimensions 17 × 12 mm2 . The compacted samples are sintered at three different temperatures of 1350 C , 1450 C, and 1500 C for 90 min heating time to choose the most suitable one. The correlation between the microstructure, properties like density hardness, wear rates, corrosion resistance, and the biocompatibility of the fabricated Ti–12Mo/ZrO2 composites were studied. The findings indicate that the density of the pure Ti was increased by adding 12 wt.% Mo as well as by increasing the ZrO2 percentage up to 5 wt.%. The eutectoid phase has been formed as a result of reinforcing the titanium matrix by 12 wt.% Mo. The highest hardness and the lowest wear rate were observed for 5 wt.% ZrO2 sample. The Ti–12Mo/(x)ZrO2 composites show high corrosion resistance in the simulated saliva fluid (SSF). The measured concentrations of both Ti, Mo, and Zr ions released in SSF from Ti–12Mo/(x)ZrO2 nanocomposites were extremely low. The findings demonstrated that Ti–12Mo/5 wt.%ZrO2 composites have high potential applications in dental implantation. For all samples, the biocompatibility test was estimated. The findings also revealed that the high adhesion and growth of live cells achieve on the 5 wt.% ZrO2 sample.