The Effect of Ti/Ta Ratio and Processing Routes on the Hardness and Elastic Modulus of Porous TiNbZrTa Alloys

Abstract

[EN] TiNbZrTa alloys are promising for multidisciplinary applications, such as refractory and biomedical purposes, due to their high thermal stability and non-toxicity. Hardness and elastic modulus are among the key features for their adequate industrial applications. The influence of porosity and Ti/Ta ratio were investigated on TiNbZrTa alloys produced by three different processing routes, i.e., (i) blend element and posterior press and sintering (BE + P&S); (ii) mechanical alloying with press and sintering (MA + P&S); and (iii) arc melting and casting. Porosity decreased in the following order: casting < MA + P&S < BE + P&S. The total porosity of alloys increased with increasing Ta contents, i.e., by lowering the Ti/Ta ratio. However, the Ti/Ta ratio did not considerably affect the bonding energy or the elastic modulus. Hardness was increased significantly in dense alloys compared to porous ones. However, porosity and Ti/Ta ratio did not show a clear trend in hardness among the porous alloys.