Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. I would like to say thank you for coming in my presentation.

Let me introduce myself, my name is Dian Risanti Adiningsih. I’m Undergraduate Program in Physics,
Faculty of Mathematics & Natural Sciences from Universitas Indonesia and joined in Annodizing and
Corrosion Research Group who is lead by Dr. Anawati. In this opportunity, I would like to present our
research about The Microstructure and Mechanical Hardness of Cast Ti-30Nb-5Sn after Solution
Treatment.

Metallic biomaterials are of great importance in the development of implant devices. They are
usually used in a load-bearing implants, such as artificial joints, bone plates and screws, and dental
implants, which are designed for reconstruction or failed hard tissue but also in the reconstruction of
soft tissues such as blood vessels. The currently used metallic biomaterials include pure titanium, Ti-
6Al-4V, Co-Cr, and stainless steel.

The major causes that lead to the failure of metallic biomaterials particularly in orthopaedics result
from toxicity due to release of metal ions, stress shielding due to the mismatch in elastic modulus,
corrosion fatigue and wear debris invoked inflammation. The use of titanium in medical applications
began in the 1930s and is based on its biocompatibility, density, mechanical properties, and
corrosion resistance. Recently, to solved those problems metastable β titanium alloys are being
projected as the next generation of materials for orthopaedic applications because they consist of
non-toxic alloying element like Nb, Ta, Zr, Sn, Mo thus making the alloy more biocompatible.
Secondly, metastable β Ti-alloys have an inherently lower elastic modulus compared to other
metallic biomaterials without compromising the strength. The microstructure and mechanical
behaviour of metastable β Ti alloys result from the amount and type of alloying elements added to
titanium and especially added to titanium and especially from the processing pathway to which the
alloy is subjected. By the previous research, Edy Priyanto Utomo et al. reported that Ti-30Nb-5Sn
have the lowest hardness value than Ti-30Nb-2Sn and Ti-30Nb-8Sn.

So, the aim in this study is to observe microstructure of Ti-30Nb-5Sn after heat treatment and
investigate the effect of heat treatment on mechanical hardness of Ti-30Nb-5Sn.

The Ingots of 100 g were prepared in an arc melting furnace and were homogenized b inverting and
re-melting them five times. Some of as-cast alloys was further solution treated at 1000oC for 5h
followed by water quenched. The solution treatment was conducted in a furnace under air
exposure. The samples were mechanical processed by grinding, polishing, and cleaning. To measure
mechanical hardness of the sample we use means of Vickers microhardness indenter. After that, the
samples were etched using a solution of 5M Fluoride Acid and desmutted 30% Nitrit Acid. The
sample was charterized using Optical Microscope, SEM-EDX, and XRD to investigate phase existed.
This is chemical compositions of samples that were arc melted and cast and on the left is the
specimen that was mounted before analyze. The results was analysed by EDX suggest that the
measured compositions are as expected to the nominal compositions. That is indicating the
distribution of element was homogenous enough by five-times remelted and the sample was
successfully fabricated by arc melting furnace.

First, in Optical Microscope we could see the as-cast sample was brighter than the solution treated
sample. And as we could see not many features in this sample. The solution treated give differen
result. After solution treatment, the result appeared darker structure forming plate-like precipitates
and nearly continuos dark spot and distribute randomly.

In SEM result, we could see more clearer structure than Optical Microscope. It is clear that as-cast
sample on the left presented a lamellar with branching structure forming dendrites. The space
between lamellar was about 30µm. diffusion of the molten alloy during casting gave lamellar and
dendrites path in the microstructure. This structure indicating that alloy only a single phase.
Meanwhile the picture on the right presented different structure because the dendritic structure did
not exist. After solution treatment, the structure whom darker turn to be a clear metallic grain
structure decorated by plate-like precipitates and the size of plate-like is about 10µm. furthermore,
the discontinuous grain boundaries is exhibited morphology plate-like. Both of precipitates and
discontinuous grain boundaries indicating lower atomic weight than surrounding matrix because on
this pict both of them are appeared darker than surrounding. And also, precipitates and
discontinuous grain boundaries correspond to α-phase.

To make sure previous statement before, this is a picture of EDX point analysis who consists a
element distribution on the matrix and plate-like precipitates after solution treatment. The results
on table presents that Nb concentration in precipitate 8.71% is lower than matrix which is 25.07%,
and oppositely Ti concentration has a higher percentage around 7.66% than matrix with percentage
59.77%. this results indicating that the precipitate concisted of α-phase because of the low Nb
concentration at precipitate reduced the average atomic weight and hence gave darker appearance
than surrounding matrix.

This slide shows the xrd pattern of the Ti-30Nb-5Sn alloy as cast and after solution treatment. The
xrd results were in agreement with SEM images before. This results present the as-cast alloy
composed mainly β-phase. The peaks correspond to the β-phase aroused at the angles around…
Meanwhile, the xrd pattern of the solutions treated specimen exhibited numerous peaks of a α-
phase at the angles around…. This xrd results confirm that SEM results consist of β-phase and
numerous α-phase precipitates in solution treated samples and consist only β-phase in as-cast
samples. The solution treatment conducted on the Ti-30Nb-5Sn induced the formation of α-phase
precipitates in the metastable β-phase matrix. Compared with β, the α-phase is characterized by the
following properties: higher resistance to plastic deformation, lower ductility, significant anisotropy
of physical and mechanical properties, diffusion rates that are lower by at least two orders of
magnitude, and higher creep resistance

So, in this slide shows the result of mechanical hardness of Ti-30Nb-5Sn. After solution treatment,
the value of mechanical hardness became significantly harder about 61.5 HV from 274.3 HV. The
presence of α-phase precipitates in the metallic grain of β-phase of Ti-30Nb-5Sn alloy increased
value of mechanical hardness. The martensitic α-phase is brittle and hence tends to raise the
hardness of Ti alloy.

With all of these results, we could conclude that:

1. The as-cast alloy exhibited a lamellar and dendritic structure of single β-phase.

2. Solution treatment induced the formation of α-phase precipitates.

3. The presence α-phase precipitate increase of mechanical hardness from 274.3 to 335.8 HV.