Antibacterial Properties and Corrosion Resistance of the Newly Developed Biomaterial, Ti–12Nb–1Ag Alloy

Currently, the development of biomaterials has focused on having a low Young’s modulus, biocompatibility, corrosion resistance, and antibacterial properties. Ti–Nb alloys have higher research value due to their excellent corrosion resistance and low Young’s modulus. In recent years, the antibacterial properties of materials have been enhanced by the addition of Ag and Cu. Therefore, the corrosion resistance and antibacterial properties of the Ti–12Nb–1Ag alloy formulated in the current study were investigated and compared to those of commonly used Ti alloys, G2 pure Ti (ASTM B348 CP Grade 2), and Ti–6Al–4V, via electrochemical and E. coli antibacterial tests. Meanwhile, we also carried out a microstructural analysis to investigate the composition of the alloy. The results were as follows: (1) The electrochemical test demonstrated that Ti–12Nb–1Ag had a higher corrosion resistance than Ti–6Al–4V, which is similar to the properties of pure Ti. (2) The E. coli antibacterial test demonstrated that the sterilization rate of Ti–12Nb–1Ag was higher than that of the Ti–6Al–4V alloy and pure Ti. (3) The microstructural analysis revealed that Ti–12Nb–1Ag had an acicular martensite structure, with nano-Ag precipitates observed. Based on the results of the E. coli antibacterial test and the principles of sterilization of nano-precipitates and Ag, we inferred that the nano-Ag precipitates of Ti–12Nb–1Ag enhanced the antibacterial properties of the newly developed biomaterial, which is, namely, the Ti–12Nb–1Ag alloy