Influence of heat treatment and mechanical cycling on hardness and fracture analysis of Ti35Nb5Zr casting alloy

Titanium alloys are used in Dentistry due to their excellent mechanical, physical and chemical properties. However, it is necessary to find a biocompatible alloy to substitute the Ti-6Al-4V alloy. The presented suggestion was to study mechanical properties of a new titanium alloy without toxic elements. The Ti-35Nb-5Zr (%wt) alloy was produced by arc melting method. The tests were Vickers hardness, tensile strength and mechanical cycling, according to technical standards for titanium biomaterials. Hardness tests were performed in three different stages: before and after heat treatment at 1000°C for 1h, and after mechanical cycling test. The fracture analysis was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. The mean values of Vickers hardness were 230.3±27.06HV before and 462.6±59.44HV after heat treatment (P